I've Brought You a Gift
by kaybeezie
Summary: Sarah was the champion of the labyrinth, but what she did not know, was that a certain goblin king was helping her the whole time. See what happens when she finds out that her greatest enemy was actually her greatest ally.
1. Prologue: The legend of the Labyrinth

A/N: I do not own "Labyrinth" or any of it's lovely characters. Please read and review!

* * *

Once upon a time, long, long ago, way before the time of Toby, Sarah, or even Jareth for that matter, there were two kingdoms. There was the elf kingdom and the goblin kingdom. The two kingdoms co-existed quite peacefully. They shared a border, but the also shared so much more than that. The goblins and dwarves would give them wine and bread. The elves and fairies would give them precious jewels in return. Everyone was free to travel through between the kingdoms. Of course, like all good things, this came to an end.

The elf king and queen had a beautiful daughter. It was not an ordinary kind of beautiful. She looked like the sunset on a warm summer day. She felt like the feeling you get when you look up at the stars at night, when you feel so small and you might fall off the earth any minute. She sounded like the wind rustling through autumn trees. She smelled like the grass right after a rainstorm. They knew that their daughter was special. If anyone saw her, they would surely want to take them from her. They kept her locked up in her room. They made sure that only they and a couple of trusted servants were able to lay eyes on her.

One day the elf king and queen had a grand ball. They invited only the most important people; this included the goblin king and queen. The goblin king walked around the elf castle looking for a changing room after spilling some wine. He got distracted when he heard the sound of a woman singing. This is where the story changes from kingdom to kingdom. In the elf kingdom, they say he found the princess, and he was so overcome with lust that he kidnapped her. The king used his magic to create a labyrinth, where he hid with her at the center. In the goblin kingdom, they say that the woman was looking for an escape after being trapped in that room all of her life. The goblin king agreed to help her and created a vast labyrinth for her hide in.

Whatever happened, the two kingdoms were left with missing royalty and a labyrinth. They have been at war ever since. Thousands have died on both sides. The lives of royalty and citizens were equally affected. All of the creatures, whether they were goblin, elf, dwarf, fairy, troll, or fae felt the hardships of this war. They have both gained and lost territory of the years. The labyrinth just sits on the edge of the goblin kingdom, waiting for someone with a worthy heart to unlock the secrets that lie inside . . .


	2. Crime and Punishment

Jareth leaned his long body against the wall of the labyrinth. He tapped his pen against his lip in thought, as he stared at the paper. "It's here. I know it is. I can feel it."

"Ya mustn't worry ya'self too much mate. 'Ter all, ya got an eternity," the little blue worm assured him. The worm had to admire the young prince's determination. Ever since he had heard about the labyrinth, he had wanted to solve it. It was a lost cause because it was unsolvable. This thing has been here for ages, and no one has come close. Alas, he did not have it in his old heart to tell the boy this. After his father died tragically in war, the boy did not have much to believe in. Heaven knows, his family never understood poor Jareth.

"It's only forever; not long at all," he smirked, "I suppose you're right though. It is almost nightfall, and I mustn't worry Mother. I will figure out this old labyrinth one day, I swear it."

The worm smiled at him, "Well, that mappa' yours will sure help ya. You've already drawn three-quarters of the map, and that's more than mos' 've gotten." He nodded at the worm, and said his goodbyes. Jareth looked down at his map to find his way out and folded it put it in his pocket with his pen. It was not long until he heard his older brothers, James and Jonathan, roughhousing outside the walls of the labyrinth. He tapped the wall with the base of his black leather boot to get their attention.

James shoved him on the shoulder, "You were supposed to be home an hour ago. Mother thinks you were eaten by fierys or something." James had short auburn hair and icy blue eyes. He was taller than Jareth, but not by much. He wore a white undershirt, suspenders, and black trousers because he could care less about the formality that his station required of him.

"Some how, I hardly think that you would be upset if that was the case, dear brother," Jareth dusted off the bit of dirt James left on his shoulder.

"Of course, I'd be upset. If you were gone, I would have no where to rest my feet when I become king," James stated matter of factly.

Jonathan doubled over in laughter, "He . . . called . . . you . . . a footstool! Ha!" Jonathan was the middle child. His hair was short and blonde, but not quite as fair as Jareth's. His choice of clothing was similar to James except for a royal blue overcoat that he had put on to keep out the chill. He had always followed James around like a puppy.

Suddenly Jareth put his ear to the wall of the labyrinth, "Quiet! I hear something."

"What is the labyrinth talking to you like some living thing?" James laughed.

"Yea, a living thing," Jonathan echoed, as he tended to do when he could not come up with a response on his own.

James glared at him, "I just said that you ignoramus!"

Jareth put a finger to his lips, "It sounds like Sir Didymus and a woman. She's crying."

"She's probably getting fucked by ol' Didy. You are so inexperienced with women, you would not know the sound of one moaning," the oldest brother responded.

"From what I hear, neither would you."

He raised an eyebrow at his younger brother, "Oh is that right? What, pray tell, have you heard?"

Jareth leaned in close and whispered, "I heard that a seamstress mistook your manhood for a thimble." Jonathan was close to tears from laughing so hard, momentrily forgetting his loyalty to James. Jareth smirked before running off in the direction of Sir Didymus. His brothers did not follow him. They probably went to tell his mother. He hardly cared though. Sir Didymus was his best friend, and right now he needed him.

The young prince stopped when he saw Sir Didymus and a woman covered in blood. Her dress was torn to bits. Upon seeing him, both Didymus and the woman attempted to bow. Jareth removed his coat and placed around the woman. "Your highness, it is my honor and my-"

"There is no need for formalities, Sir Didymus. Please tell me what happened, Milady," Jareth coaxed her gently. He went to put his arm around her to comfort her, but thought against it when she flinched. He made a crystal that turned into a bench. "It will be okay. Have a seat, and tell me what happened. I won't hurt you. You are safe here."

"It was King Oedisis and his guards. They were drunk and they burned down my village, your highness. They killed my mother. Right in front of me, they did. When I screamed, the elf king turned his attention to me and . . . I mustn't say. You are far too innocent to hear the rest," the woman cried.

Jareth stared deeply into her green eyes, "What is your name, Milady?"

"Linda, your highness."

"Linda," he took her hands in his, "Did he . . . that is . . . did he rape you?" She nodded her head out of fear what her voice might sound like if she answered. Linda buried her head in the crook of his neck and sobbed. She felt bad for crying like this in front of the prince. He was not much more than a child, even if he did not carry himself like one at the moment. "I'll get you to a healer then. You can take refuge in my kingdom."

"Oh, your highness, I mustn't. You should not worry yourself over a peasant like me," Linda cried. Despite all that happened, she did not want to burden such a sweet prince.

They both stilled at the sound of a baritone voice, "She is right, you know. We would not want to house a potential spy from the elf kingdom." It was King Dominic, otherwise known as the goblin king. The man was as fearsome as they came. He had scars all over his body from years of war. Every part of him was heavily muscled. His hair was short and black and his eyes were like coal.

"Uncle, please, we must help her. She was horribly wounded by the elf king," Jareth begged.

"She is a trespasser, is she not?"

"Yes, but-"

"You're a smart lad, Jareth. What is the punishment for trespassing onto to the goblin kingdom?" Dominic pressed.

Jareth looked at the ground rather than at his uncle, "She must run the labyrinth or get sentenced to death." He had a solemn look of apology on his face. Linda knew that he had meant no harm, just as she knew that she would be dead soon. There was no point in trying to solve the labyrinth. She knew she would be given thirteen hours, and if she could not complete it, surely she would die. Linda was in no shape to run.

Dominic gave sharp jerk on Linda's chin to force her to make eye contact, "So what will you choose, my lovely?"

Both Jareth and Sir Didymus looked shocked when she said, "Death."

The king laughed, "Excellent. We'll have a public hanging to make an example of you. Jareth, I expect you to wear your best suit for the occasion. Not that frilly nonsense, you insist on wearing."

"Of course, Uncle," Jareth sighed in defeat.

"Good boy. Now wait for me in my office while I handle this," Dominic gestured to the girl. Jareth turned to leave and motioned for Sir Didymus to follow. He did with sadness plastered on his face. Normally, Didymus was not to stay quiet in a matter like this, but even he knew not to confront the goblin king. The last time he did, he lost an eye. They walked over to the castle beyond the goblin city and into King Dominic's office.

Jareth grabbed blank paper from his uncle's desk and his pen that he kept in his coat pocket, "I've got a plan, Didymus, but we must be quick and quiet about it. Understand?" He wrote on the paper as he spoke.

"Yes, your high-"Jareth put a finger to the knight's lips.

"Quick and quiet," he repeated, "This letter must go to my brother, Jonathan. This one must go to Linda. Make sure he comes with you, and tell him that I owe him one. Go. Now." Sir Didymus grabbed the papers, and ran out the room as fast as his little legs could take him. Jareth let out a breath he had no known that he was holding in. He sat in the chair opposite to his Uncle's and crossed his legs in the most formal way possible. He sat there for a good while and tapped his pen the desk to release some of his nervous energy.

The door slammed open. It had frightened Jareth, but he stayed still. He knew it was his uncle without turning around. When it came to meetings with King Dominic, it was best to show as little emotion as possible. If there was one thing the king hated it was weakness. The goblin king walked around the table with a stern look on his face. Jareth met his stare with a neutral expression.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Boy," Dominic stated as he sat down, "You are young still, but it is best to learn these things before you get into a position of power."

"Thank you, but the only way I am getting into a position of power is if I marry a princess or my two older brothers die first. I've got no more authority than a royal house pet,"Jareth joked.

King Dominic shook his head, "Not exactly. Due to the war, you know, I was rendered unable to have children. After your father's death, James became the first in line for the throne. However, I am growing sick, Jareth. The healer thinks I have only have a couple years left in me. I am getting the best help money could buy, but it can only help so much. That being said, I do not feel comfortable leaving the kingdom in James' hands. I hate to say this about my nephew, but frankly he's an idiot. I think him and Jonathan share half a brain. As much as I loved your father, Dorian, it was his lack of intelligence that got him killed."

Jareth could not keep the shock off his face, "Thank you, Uncle, but I couldn't. I'm much too young, and I don't know the first thing about ruling a kingdom."

"Jareth, I know this is a bit much to take in, but you will get lessons and advisors. I know you and I have never seen eye to eye on anything. You are the only one I trust with this responsibility. You are different than the rest of the family, but that difference is what will win the war."

There was a long silence between them. "Goodnight, Uncle," Jareth said because he was unsure of what else there was to say. This was all too much for him. He was not ready to be king. He was not sure he even wanted to be king. Jareth always envisioned himself as an explorer or something along those lines.

Dominic placed a hand on his shoulder, "Your mother knows of my decision, and she agrees with it. I expect to see you tomorrow at the hanging. This will be the first of many lessons you need to learn. Goodnight, Jareth." Jareth stared at the floor, rather an at his uncle. He stormed out the room. He went to the dining hall, where he knew his brothers and mother would be. His eyes were crimson with tears that were too proud to be shed. What his uncle said was set in stone. Jareth could not rule a kingdom. He could barely take care of himself.

The table was long and mahogany. There were blood red trimmings and candles all throughout. James and Jonathan sat on opposite sides of the table. His mother sat at the head of the table watching the wax from the candle drip on to the plate. Her fair hairs were done up and she wore a brownish red dress that hugged her completely. She got up from the table as soon as she saw him. Alexandria gave wrapped her thin arms around him.

"It took you long enough," James smirked raising a glass of wine to Jareth.

"Hush James," Alexandria shushed, "Is everything alright?"

Jareth kept a business tone, "Fine, Mother. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Jonathan, I trust that you handled the _paperwork _I had sent to you earlier." Jonathan nodded. "Excellent."

His mother brushed a blonde strand of hair out of his face, "Honestly, Child, if you insist on keeping your hair this long at least keep it out of your handsome face."

The boy kissed his mother on both cheeks, "Noted, my dear mother. What's for dinner?"

* * *

Dinner passed, and Jareth went to bed. He had a hard time sleeping. Everything that happened that day was etched in his mind. When he did finally get to sleep, he dreamt of his father and startled himself awake. It had taken another hour for him to fall back asleep. He felt something pulling on his shoulder, and when he woke he realized it was his uncle.

"Up, Boy!" Dominic yelled. He started hitting the back of Jareth's head.

Jareth put his hands up to shield himself, "I'm up! I'm up!" Dominic dragged him by his ear and out of his room. He made an effort to cover himself because he slept in his underwear. The king was fuming, and Jareth already knew why. His two brothers were up against the wall in an equally disheveled state. James was rubbing his head in pain and annoyance.

"Well, I went to check the prisoners to get prepared for this today's hanging. To my surprise, one of them was missing. Jareth, I think you had the pleasure of meeting her last night," Dominic hissed.

"My, my, Uncle, that is rather unfortunate. Alas, I was with you and then I returned home. I wouldn't know what what happened to this prisoner you speak of," Jareth stated, finding his nails to be rather interesting at the moment.

Dominic smacked Jareth hard across the face, "I know that. Don't be smart with me, boy. Which of your dingbat brothers did you get to carry this out for you?"

Jareth licked the blood from his lip and spit on his Uncle's shoe, "Gee, I haven't the slightest clue in what you are talking about, dear Uncle. Perhaps you need some rest. I am sure you could see yourself out."

Jonathan glared at Dominic, "If you can't, we could call our dear old mother. I am sure she'll love to hear about your treatment of my little brother." King Dominic stormed off.

James laughed and messed up Jareth's hair, "You alright, kid?"

"Yes, it's only a scratch."

"No, I was talking about how your balls got so big they must have hit the ground hard," James smirked. "Well, I got another hour of sleep to go. I don't know about you, but I am going to bed."


	3. Sir Princess Sarah

_Four years later . . ._

Jareth slid on some crushed black leather gloves. He tugged on the cuff so it would fit extra tight. That is how he liked all of his clothes to fit. He looked in the mirror and pulled a few strands of his hair in opposite directions. Today, he had his first weekend off in ages. Certainly, he had to take advantage of it. King Dominic had been extremely tough with his lessons. Jareth thought his little stunt with the prisoner would make the king change his mind about having him be king, but for some reason he was more adamant about it than before.

"Where are you going again, Jareth?" Alexandria asked.

He held his mother in his arms and kissed the top of her head, "I already told you that I am going Aboveground. You needn't worry, Mother."

"I know, but where is exactly. I need to know just in case you go missing."

He chuckled softly, "I won't go missing. I am just staying with some of James old friends. I will be fine. I promise." Jareth made a crystal, but it came out too small. He always had trouble with traveling crystals. He closed his eyes and tapped his foot to concentrate. This time he was able to make a crystal the right size. At the flick of a wrist, he wound up in a steamy white marble bathroom. Jareth laughed and called out, "Anthony!"

The man in the shower hit his head on the wall, "Jesus Christ, Jareth! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" The short man with black balding hair turned off the shower as Jareth threw a towel in his direction.

"I would have done you a favor," Jareth chimed as leaned against the table.

"Hardee, Har-har," Anthony groaned sarcastically, "Not that I don't enjoy your company, your royal peeping-tom, but what are you doing here?"

Jareth turned as the man put on his robe, "Do you remember that woman Jonathan brought to you a couple years back?"

"Yea, the cute broad with the long black hair. Laura or something with like that."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, _Linda_. Where can I find her?"

Anthony pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer, "Well, I had her stay with a group of aspiring actors. I had a lady-friend staying with me at the time so she could not stay with me. She was on Broadway. Turns out she is not a half bad actress. The last I heard from her, she was married. I'll write down directions. She's not too far."

"Thank you, old friend."

"Jareth, before you go, perhaps you should change your get up. You look a little eccentric. I don't want you frightening any humans," Anthony suggested walking out of the bathroom. He grabbed a notepad from his desk and started writing.

Jareth sighed, "I spent all morning on this, but I suppose you're right. I'll turn it down. Humans are awfully boring when it comes to style."

Anthony smiled, "Well not all of them. There's a club I know that you'd fit right in. There's people that would kill to have your coral lipstick."

"I suppose that'll have to wait until next year. Thanks again," he said slapping the paper against his gloved hand. He took out a crystal and changed into a leather jacket and jeans. "Is this good?"

"Lose the hair and makeup and you'll be fine," the man advised and Jareth changed, "Much better." Jareth nodded in acknowledgement. He walked out of the apartment and followed the directions. He walked past a lake and a bridge surrounded by lush green grass. It was quite beautiful. Jareth has not been Aboveground in quite a while. Last time he went was with his brothers. That is how he met Anthony. He is the main distributer of Aboveground contraband. Anthony was half fae and half human so he never had difficulty traveling between the worlds.

Finally, he made it to what looked like the right address. It had to be. The numbers were right there. The mailbox had, "Robert and Linda Williams" written on it. He knocked on the door. Linda opened the door. She was wearing green shorts and a hot pink blouse. She had silver part hat on her head.

He looked her over, "Linda Williams?"

"Yea . . . um. You look so familiar. I apologize. Have we met?" she scratched her head.

"I should think you would remember me. After all, I saved your life, Milady," he took her hand in his and kissed it.

Linda looked embarrassed and flustered at the same time, "Jare-Jareth, your highness! I am so sorry. You're taller. Your hair! Where is your hair! You look so handsome. God, it is good to see you. Why are you here? Am I in trouble?"

He smirked, "No, nothing of the sort. I've been busy, but time to time I find myself wondering about you. Today was my day off so I thought I would pay you a visit. That is, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Please, come in. There is some people I would like to introduce you to," she whispered, "We will have to change your name. You could be Jeremy and we could say that you are one of the extras from our play." Jareth nodded as they walked. When they walked into the dining room, he was surprised to see a room full of small children dressed as princesses, knights, and princes. He saw an average looking male, that he assumed to be Linda's husband. "Jeremy, this is Robert. Robert, this is Jeremy. He's an extra in our upcoming play."

"Well, there's no small parts only small actors. Put her there," Robert greeted, shaking Jareth's hand a little harder than necessary.

Jareth gave humorless laugh, "It's nice to meet you Robert." A small girl with a princess dress and a knight's helmet started tugging on Linda's blouse.

"Mommy, can we have cake now?" the little girl asked. Jareth's jaw dropped, but he quickly recovered.

"In one moment, baby. I would like you to meet Jeremy first. Please, take off your helmet, love," Linda coaxed, "Jeremy, this the birthday girl, Sarah. She's three years old today." Sarah kept her helmet on and clutched her mother's side.

Jareth bent down to her level, "It is an honor to meet you, Sir Princess Sarah. May I help you remove this helmet?" She nodded her head slowly. Gingerly, he removed the helmet from the little girl. He was surprised to see such piercing green eyes on a child. Her hair was long and black. She was the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. "You are by far the most beautiful knight I have ever seen."

"Thank you, kind sir," Sarah curtseyed, "Want some cake? It's chocolate."

"Yes, Milady. Beautiful and generous, they will write legends about you one day, young Sarah," he answered. He placed the helmet on a counter. She took him to sit at the head of the table. "But Sarah, this is your seat."

She smiled, "I know," and climbed up on top of his lap. Jareth laughed in confusion.

Linda laughed as well, "I have never seen her take a liking to someone so fast. She is usually quite shy." She went into the kitchen to get the cake.

"Sarah, Sweetie, maybe we should get off Jeremy's lap," Robert suggested. As he went to pick her up, she started to shriek.

"Oh, leave her Robert! It's her birthday. I am sure Jeremy doesn't mind. Do you Jeremy?" Linda asked.

Jareth petted Sarah's hair to sooth her, "I don't mind either way, honest." He felt really uncomfortable being put between their argument. Linda put the cake on the table and pulled Robert aside. He said something about not wanting some strange man holding his child, and she said something about not hitting an insect. This was too much for Jareth. The children were getting fidgety in their seats. They clearly needed some cake or they were going to combust. "Excuse me, but I think we might want to start with the cake."

Linda lit the candles on top, "_Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!_"

The children chimed in, "_Happy birthday, dear Sa-rah! Happy birthday to you!_"

"Blow out the candles, baby girl!" Robert encouraged, "Make a wish!" Jareth lifted her up so she could reach the top of the cake better. She closed her eyes, and blew as hard as her little lungs would allow. Everyone clapped and cheered. Linda took a cake spatula, started cutting out the cake, and handing it to everyone. Sarah stuck her finger in the icing and wiped on Jareth's cheek. Jareth grinned and returned the favor. He started feeding her with the fork. Robert informed, "Jeremy, she's old enough to eat by herself."

"My apologies, Robert. I guess I should be heading out. I suppose I have overstayed my welcome," Jareth responded, taking Sarah off his lap. Sarah started whining and stomping her feet. He looked down at briefly, before heading towards the exit.

Linda called out, "Jare- Jeremy! Wait, wait!" Jareth opened the door, but did not step out.

"You have a lovely family, Linda. I'm afraid I must leave though. People to see. Things to do," he lied.

"Jareth, I'm sorry he's really protective of his daughter. He's like that with everyone," She explained.

He nodded in understanding, "Ah, yes. Except, that's not really his daughter, now is it?"

Linda closed the door, "Is it that obvious?"

"Sarah is the daughter of the elf king. One of the most powerful men in the Underground. You can't hide that kind of power, Linda. I felt it as soon as I saw her," Jareth whispered, "I know what happened was not your fault, but now you have a responsibility to make sure she does not end up in the wrong hands. You must be careful. There's a lot of beings in this world and the next that would do anything for that power." Linda's eyes began to water up as she shook her head up and down. The both took a step back when a raven perched itself right in front of them. Jareth felt his heart stop in his chest. The raven took the form of his uncle. Jareth quickly cast a spell to make everything freeze inside the house. He did not want Robert to try anything heroic that would put those children's life at risk.

"Linda, Linda, Linda. It's been four long years, but now you're here," the goblin king gloated, "I knew my nephew could not resist visiting you. We will take you Underground and carry out your death sentence."

She kneeled before the king and kissed his shoe, "You mustn't, your highness. I am a mother now. I-I-I can't leave my baby."

"Fine," he smirked, "Then we will have the baby take the punishment for your crimes." Linda started crying hysterically.

Jareth thought quickly, "Uncle, if the babe has to pay for her crimes. Can she not choose to run the labyrinth?"

Dominic raised an eyebrow, "You want the babe to run the labyrinth? That is priceless, Jareth, really, it is."

"Not now, of course. The law of the goblin kingdom states that if a minor is guilty of a crime that we cannot carry out a punishment until adulthood. When she reaches adulthood, she could run the labyrinth," Jareth informed them. Dominic made a crystal and suddenly a sleeping Sarah appeared in his arms. Linda's eyes popped open wide. He made a crystal and phazed it through her heart. "What did you do?"

"On her fifteenth birthday, she will wish herself to the labyrinth. Whether I am there or not to see it, she will run it in less than thirteen hours. Or she will die," Dominic laughed before taking the form of a bird. Jareth caught Sarah before she hit the ground.

Linda hit Jareth as hard as she could, "You bastard! You lead him here!"

Jareth pleaded, "Linda, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't think he even remembered you. I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure she beats the labyrinth."

"You've doomed her!"

"Linda, it's not unbeatable. I promise it is not. With Sarah and my power together, we can do this. No one knows the labyrinth better than I do. I can teach her. We've got twelve years. I'll visit every year. We'll get through this Linda, you can't lose faith," Jareth assured her.

She wiped her tears, "Okay let's put her inside." She opened the door, and Jareth took her to her seat on the table. He made a crystal in his hand that became a present. Then, he unfroze time.

"Jeremy, I thought you left," Robert questioned.

"I forgot to give Sarah her birthday present," Jareth pulled out a present from behind him. It was red with a pink bow. Sarah smiled and rushed to him.

She reached for the present with tiny hands, "What is it? What is it?"

"You'll have to open it, Sarah," he handed her the gift, and got on one knee so he could be at her level. She tore of the bow and opened the red box. Inside was a little bear. "His name is Sir Lancelot. He's a very good friend of mine, and I want you to take good care of him."

"Oh thank you, Jeremy! He's the bestest, most sweetest bear in the whole wide world," Sarah gave him a kiss and hug, "I love you, Jeremy."

Jareth smiled, "I love you too, Sir Princess Sarah."


	4. I've Brought You a Gift

Chapter 3:

Jareth spent the little free time he had to finding ways to help Sarah. He started doing his routes around the labyrinth again, looking for shortcuts. He talked to creatures that lived in the labyrinth about information that would help. Most of the goblins were reluctant, but he found that he could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be. When that did not work, bribery did. They would do anything for shiny baubles, and as a prince, he is always well stocked with such. He got to know the labyrinth so well that the walls would just open for him.

One day, he discovered a peach tree in the labyrinth. Jareth was awfully hungry so he decided to take a bite of one of the peaches. He fell fast asleep, and he dreamed that he was in a ball. There was a beautiful woman with long ebony hair and emerald green eyes. She looked familiar, but he coud not quite place a finger on it. He followed her because she was the only one that looked remotely familiar. The more he ran, the farther she got lost in the crowd. When he least expected it, she showed up. He took her hand and danced with her slowly to music he had not really noticed was playing. He only noticed it then because he saw that the woman was the one singing.

Something felt horribly wrong here though. Jareth ran off, took a chair, and smashed through the bubble. He woke up in a pile of trash surrounded by garbage women. For some reason he could not remember who he was. As he walked his memory slowly got back to him, and he realized he was right outside the goblin city. He took note of the peaches in his travel. Sarah would have to eat one of the peaches. If she did not get caught up in the dream, she could cut her travel time in half.

* * *

King Dominic once took him to a goblin play. This was a lesson about keeping his citizens happy by supporting the arts. Naturally, all of the goblins were horrid, and the play was cringe-worthy at best. There was a dwarf, though, that remembered his lines perfectly. He practically embodied the character. His uncle left to handle some business so Jareth took the opportunity to approach the actor after the show.

"You know, you were quite a convincing Prince Booger-snot, if I do say so myself," Jareth complimented.

"Thank you, your highness," the dwarf bowed, "If only the play was not written by goblins. There are not too many good acting positions in a field that is run by goblins."

Jareth nodded in understanding, "That is precisely why I decided to come to you. I have a position for you and I assure you that you will be handsomely rewarded. What is your name by the way?"

"Hoggle, your majesty. I would definitely like to meet you sometime about this project, but unfortunately the director is calling me. The last time I did not come on time, he bit me," Hoggle apologized. Jareth decided that since he could not help Sarah in front of King Dominic, he could have Hoggle act as a guide. He could lead her on path whenever she is headed in the wrong direction. As much as it pained him, Jareth would have to act as the evil villain to make sure everything went smoothly.

* * *

King Dominic taught him everything he knew about war and about being a great leader. He told him about the elf kingdom. Jareth learned about Queen Tomeca. She was the elf queen, but she died giving birth to princess Zoey before Jareth was born. As cruel as the elf king, King Oedisis, was, he loved Zoey with all of his heart. She was sole heir to the kingdom. If the king and princess were killed, they would win the war. Unfortunately, they were both heavily guarded. As much as Jareth disliked the king, he could never see himself causing harm to the princess. Though he and Linda were the only ones to know it, Zoey was technically Sarah's half-sister. He felt that killing her might be like killing Sarah.

When his uncle thought he was writing notes for his lessons, he was really sketching presents for Sarah. Since he could only come once a year, he thought birthday presents would be the best way to prepare her. Each gift would have little hints in unlocking the labyrinth. A gift is something easy for a child to remember. He had to be careful though. He could not risk Sarah learning too much about the Underground. Surely, she would tell others about it. If they did not believe her, she would be ridiculed for believing in fairytales. If they did believe her, she would expose the entire Underground. If someone truly wished for something from someone of the Underground, they would have to grant it. That could be catastrophic.

For Sarah's fourth birthday, Jareth gave Sarah a doll of Sir Didymus. He told her that even though he was a bit noisy, he was a good friend to keep near. On her fifth birthday, he got her a stuffed rock caller. He told her how these beasts were great for protection. They were very simple creatures so it was important that she learned to be gentle with them. If she befriended one, they could be a great ally. For her sixth birthday, he got her a fiery puppet. It served as a warning. He told her that even though they may seem friendly, they were quite dangerous.

On her seventh birthday, he got her a model of the labyrinth. This gift would help her mind get used to doing labyrinth on a small scale. The real labyrinth was always changing so she needed to practice finding solutions. For her eighth birthday, he got her a music box with a doll that looked like the beautiful woman in his peach dream. It played the song that she sung. This was to remind her to not get stuck in a dream no matter how beautiful it was. For her ninth birthday, he got her a Hoggle bookend. He told her that Hoggle was a good friend as well, even if he did not seem like it at the time.

Jareth gave her a picture named "Reality" by M.C. Escher, on her tenth birthday. It was similar to a room in the goblin castle that was connected to the labyrinth. This was the most difficult part. Jareth had never beat this part himself. He wanted her to look at it though and try to find a solution on her own. On her eleventh birthday, Jareth gave her an action figure of himself. He told her that it was the goblin prince, but he would one day be the goblin king. He told her that he was arrogant, sneaky, and as mean as they came. Then he told her not to take a word that he says to heart. This was the worst part of his plan because he loved Sarah so much. For her twelfth birthday, he gave her lots of jewelry. He told her to always keep jewelry with her because it was good for bribing.

* * *

The years went by and Sarah was growing into quite a lovely young woman. She was smart, kind, and strong. Whenever Jareth could see her, they would talk for hours. They would talk about fairy tales, philosophy, and whatever was going on with her life. She loved seeing him, and he felt quite the same way. His life was so occupied with preparing to be king and making sure Sarah defeats the labyrinth that these moments between Sarah and him would be all he looked forward to.

Robert never grew to like Jareth. He kept entertaining thoughts that Jareth might have been a sexual deviant trying to steal his wife and daughter simultaneously. Jareth had to give him fake playbills to prove that they really worked together. This was utterly ridiculous. Linda was almost his mother's age. His mother was nearly five hundred. Though neither would look it because they were fae. Linda was much too old for him. Jareth was only twenty-seven and that was young by human standards, but even younger by fae standards. He was pretty much a child even though he reached the peak of his aging. He would not begin to look older until he was well past his four-hundredth year.

Though he could not peg the relationship he had with Sarah, he knew he had no sexual attraction to her. She was a child, and the thought of harming a child in such a way was revolting to Jareth. He did not see her like an offspring or even a younger sibling. Sarah was special so he just saw her differently. It was best not to label these things.

Sarah had some extravagant birthday parties and some not so extravagant birthday parties. It did not matter to either of them the slightest bit because he went for her, not for the party. When she turned nine, he remembered going to an amusement park with her. This was probably the most puzzling Aboveground tradition he had ever been exposed to. They ate fluffy pink clouds on a cone and other odd looking treats. There was music and people in large costumes posing next to families. They went on this device that Sarah was so excited about. There was apparently a height requirement that she finally made it to, so of course she dragged Jareth along. It went so high and so fast that Jareth thought he might die. It had too many loops, valleys, and hills for his liking. His stomach had not liked the ride too much either because he had vomited in a nearby trash can when he got off. Sarah told him that this was normal. Jareth could not understand why humans would voluntarily sign themselves up for torture.


	5. All Has Changed

It was Sarah's thirteenth birthday. Jareth had written a book for her on her special day. He put all his research and work into this book. It would help fill in whatever gaps he left out. Most importantly, it had the magic words that were needed to defeat the labyrinth. He had to bribe a wiseman into telling him this. Of course, it had to be interesting for the newly teenaged Sarah. He added love and romance. He added a wicked stepmother because every good fairy tale had one of those. He added a baby because he loved babies. Jareth was never a great writer, but he was proud of this book. He put years into it. The prince worked and reworked it. All of the other gifts would help, but this book would make sure she was victorious.

Sarah's mother had written a note on their door saying that they rented an indoor pool at a local facility. She thought it would be a fun idea for her and her friends. Sarah's birthday was in April, so it was always too cold and rainy for an outdoor pool party. Jareth showed up at the place in a suit and tie with balloons and his present in one hand.

Linda chuckled, "You are a bit overdressed for a pool party." She was wearing a red two-piece bathing suit. Jareth's cheeks lit up because it was not customary to see a woman in such an outfit outside the bedroom.

"I see. Am I supposed to wear something like that?" Jareth questioned. He tried to envision himself in a bra and panties, and that went a little far, even for someone of his tastes.

"Oh heaven's no, Jareth," she laughed, "You are supposed to wear swimming trunks. They look like short pants. No shirt." Jareth looked confused. He made a crystal with his free hand and popped it. He wore black skin tight shorts with nothing else. "Maybe a little baggier."

Jareth obliged, "Like this?" Linda nodded. Jareth felt a bit uncomfortable in this attire. He looked around the room to find that it was grey and empty except for the glowing blue pool, chairs, and the table of decorations. "Where is everyone else?"

"Robert is picking up a few of Sarah's friends. They'll be here shortly. You can put your present over there so it does not get wet. When you're done, do you mind helping me with some of the decorations? I can't get the streamers high enough," she asked.

"Of course, Milady," Jareth responded. He used a crystal and all of the decorations were put up. "Linda, do your powers work Aboveground?"

Linda shook her head, "They did at first, but after a couple months or so they died out. Sarah used magic when she was a newborn, but did not after that. She still puts out a powerful energy regardless. I am guessing when she goes Underground, she will get her powers back in full force."

Jareth readjusted his trunks, "Let's hope so. What happens when she defeats the labyrinth then? Will she go back here or stay in the Underground?"

"I suppose we'll cross that bridge when it comes. I cannot believe we only have two years. Are you sure she is ready?"

"I am positive. We've worked too hard for this not to work," Jareth assured her. He sat on a chair just outside of the pool. He kept adjusting and readjusting his trunks. There was no regal way to wear these things. It was just uncomfortable all around. His arms and chest felt exposed as well. He breathed a sigh of relief, when he heard a knock. Hopefully, the party would distract him from the clothing.

Linda opened the door and the party guests entered. Robert came in followed by a bunch of girls Sarah's age. They were all dressed like Linda, and Robert was dressed like Jareth. He felt better, knowing that he was not the only one dressed so ridiculous. Sarah followed behind them. She was wearing a two-piece bathing suit with an dark green top and black bottoms. This was definitely not the girl he remembered. She was longer and curvier. How did this change happen in such a short time? She opened her arms as soon as she saw him.

Jareth closed the distance in this heart-warming embrace, "Sarah, I hardly recognized you. You look all grown up. You look absolutely breathtaking! Happy birthday, my sweet."

"Thank you, Jeremy," She turned around so he could get the full view, "You need to visit more so these changes won't be so drastic."

"I think we get enough of Jeremy , once a year," Robert tacked on.

Sarah furrowed her eyebrows, "Daddy!"

Jareth pulled her back into an embrace and kissed her head, "That's alright, Love, your father is just joking around." Robert shot him a look that proved that he was not. Sarah blushed furiously and backed away from him.

She stared at the floor rather than at him, "I-I am going to go swimming. You know, with my friends because I have them . . . Yea." Jareth raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. He went back to his seat and looked at the ceiling. The girls went swimming, but they were mostly huddled up in a group giggling. They would look up at Jareth every once in a while. A red-headed girl pointed at him one, but he tried not to pay attention.

"Uh . . . Jeremy!" a blonde one called out.

"Yes, dearie," he responded.

She giggled, "We were wondering if-"

Sarah whispered, "Shut up, Janet!" The girl named Janet covered Sarah's mouth and Sarah either licked or bit her hand. Jareth could not guess which. In either case, she looked utterly disgusted.

"Could you join us for a swim?" Janet screamed out.

"I'm terribly sorry, Love. I had just eaten before you came and I would rather wait a bit before swimming," Jareth lied. For some reason, Sarah seemed to be embarrassed. He did not want to be the cause of any more embarrassment for the poor girl. The girls huddled up once more. They were squealing and looking his way again. Sarah got up from the pool and went looking for something.

She shouted, "Mom, where's the goggles?"

"They should be in a red bag," Linda shouted back, "Jareth would it be okay if you watch the girls for a minute? Robert and I got to get the cake. It's a couple blocks down."

"That's quite alright," he stated. Sarah's parent's left the room. The girls looked around and then looked at him.

Janet piped up again, "Mister?"

Jareth sighed, "Yes?"

"You know Sarah likes you, right? Like, _like_-likes you," she stated with the devil's smile. Sarah froze in her spot.

Jareth looked at her in confusion, "Beg pardon?"

"She thinks you're cute," Janet smirked. Sarah started sniffling by the bag. She tried to cover her tears of embarrassment. Sarah had a crush and that was normal for her age, but that was a secret that her friends were supposed to keep. Jareth felt horrible and went to console her. He put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

"It's alright, love. There's nothing to be ashamed of," he told her.

Sarah pushed his arm off her, "I don't need your pity. You think I'm just some stupid kid!" She ran off, and he called after her. Tears were streaming down her face so hard that she did not see the wet spot on the floor. Sarah tripped and fell straight into the pool. Jareth heard a loud thump and a splash. Before he could think, he jumped in after her. All of the girls were screaming as he pulled her up.

"Quick, someone get her parents! Go! Go! Go!" he shouted. The girls nodded and got out of the pool. They got out the room as fast as they could. He took Sarah out of the pool , sat down, and laid her on his lap. She was unconscious. Jareth put a crystal in her chest, and the water slowly left her lungs. Sarah started coughing and breathing heavily. "Sarah? Sarah! Are you alright?"

"My leg! I-I-I hurt my leg," She cried out.

He turned her face towards him, "Sarah, I need you to look at me. I need you to look into my eyes, my love." He wanted to distract her so she could not see what he was going to do. She did as she was told, but it took great effort. Jareth held her gaze with his own. He made a crystal and put in her leg. Her bones in her leg were completely healed. "All better?"

"Yes," she nodded and then leaned into him. Jareth stilled in shock, when she closed her eyes and kissed him on the lips. Just as he came back to his senses, the door slammed open. Robert's face quickly went from a look of worry to a look of pure fury. Jareth broke away from Sarah and stood up. He helped Sarah up.

Jareth put his hands up as Robert approached him, "I know this looks bad, but it is not how it looks."

"What are you going to say, huh? You learned how to do CPR with your tongue? What the hell is wrong with you? She's thirteen God damnit!" he yelled as he lifted his fist. He was getting ready to strike.

"Daddy, no!" Sarah cried, "I kissed him! _I_ kissed _him_. He saved my life!"

Jareth backed up, "Sarah, please go with your mother."

"Jer-"

"Sarah listen to me, and go with your mother, now," Jareth warned, "I understand you are feeling angry. I get it. I do, but I have never hurt your daughter and I never will. Please, stay calm. There are children here." Sarah walked towards Linda, when Robert punched Jareth right in the jaw. He kept punching and punching him, but Jareth did not hit back. The girls shrieked and Sarah ran back to defend Jareth.

She screamed, "Daddy stop! Daddy please don't hurt him! He did not do anything wrong!"

"Robert stop!" Linda yelled.

"What? You are going to choose this creep over me?" he yelled.

Linda wrapped her arms around Sarah, "No ones choosing anybody. You just need to calm down. I'll just walk Jeremy out of here."

"You've been fucking him, haven't you?" Robert cried, "HAVEN'T YOU!"

"You are being ridiculous!" Linda shouted.

He clenched his fist, "Bullshit, Linda! I don't want to see you or this creep around my daughter again!"

"But babe-"

"I want a divorce," he started, walking off. The girls stood completely still. They were afraid to make a sound. Sarah wept in her mother's chest. "Sarah, come here."

Sarah clutched her mother tighter and Linda said, "It's okay, Sarah. Go with your father. We will get this sorted out. I promise. I'll take your friends home." The girl nodded and followed him. Linda took Jareth to the side.

Jareth rubbed his chin, "Linda, I'm sorry. I caused your family so much strife."

"If it was not for you, I would not be alive to have a family," she assured him, "I know you did not do anything wrong. You are a good man. Sarah loves you so much."

"I am afraid I cannot see her again. At least, not before she has to conquer the labyrinth. Make sure she reads the book I got her. Goodbye, Linda," Jareth whispered.

"Goodbye."

* * *

Linda got home after dropping off the girls. She gathered the presents and put them in the car. She hoped Robert was calm because she did not know where she would go if he kicked her out. When she opened the door to her home, it was completely silent. Robert was sitting on a recliner.

"She's sleeping," Robert stated, without looking at his wife.

"Look, Robert-"

He raised a hand up to silence her, "I meant what I said earlier. I do want a divorce. I really cannot be with a woman that puts her own needs before her daughters."

She ran her fingers through her head, "You don't even know Jaret-Jeremy. You don't understand how much he loves her. You don't know how much he has done for her."

"You are letting your attraction to him color your vision."

"You are letting your anger color yours. I never liked Jeremy in that way. He saved my life a long time ago, and he saved Sarah's today," Linda cried.

Robert huffed, "I don't understand why you are not angry with him. He kissed our daughter. He kissed my daughter."

"She's not even your daughter!" Linda shouted. Just then, they saw Sarah looking out the door. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She slammed the door. Linda ran upstairs to comfort Sarah. She opened the door to her room, and found her lying on her bed.

"It's true, isn't it Mom?" Sarah sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

Linda rubbed her back, "Baby, I'm sorry. I was just angry."

"But it's true."

Linda did not answer her, "Look, your father and I are getting a divorce. I think that maybe you should stay with your father."

"But, that's not fair!"

"Life rarely is, Sarah. Here," she said giving her a small present from her pocket, "It's from Jeremy. He said that it was important. He wants you to read it."

Sarah opened it and touched the letters on the little red book, "'Labyrinth.' Jeremy always has the weirdest gifts. If you see him, can you tell him that I said thank you and that I was sorry. I am really going to miss him, and I am going to miss you too, Mom."

* * *

AN: Please read and review! :)


	6. Someone, Someday

It was Sarah's fourteenth birthday, and Jareth felt completely miserable. He could not visit Sarah. From the looks of it, she really needed his company. Jareth would check on her every now and again through his crystal. A lot has happened in this short amount of time. Her parents got divorced, Robert got remarried, and his new wife, Karen, was pregnant. Jareth suspected that Robert and Karen had been together while Robert was still married to Linda. It seemed that the divorce had nothing to do with Jareth, Linda, or Sarah's actions at all.

Poor Sarah hated her stepmother. Her father did not pay any attention to her once Karen moved in. The woman liked to go out every weekend. She was vain and materialistic. Robert spent every bit of his money on her. They did not even remember that it was Sarah's birthday. She spent the whole day sulking in her room. Jareth decided that even though she could not see Jeremy, that did not mean he could not cheer her up.

He made a crystal and transported himself Aboveground in his owl form. Jareth perched himself out of Sarah's room window. His heart felt so heavy when he saw her crying. He pecked on the window to get her attention. She wiped her face with her sleeve and went towards the window. Sarah was surprised to see a beautiful white owl staring at her.

"Hello, pretty bird," she whispered. Jareth cooed in responsed. "I am going to open the window, but you have to promise not to fly away."

Sarah opened the window slowly and Jareth flew in, "Oh, it's so nice to see you. I am really glad you came. I had a friend named Jeremy, who really loved owls. Today's my birthday and he usually visits on my birthday, but this year he can't. My father and the _beast_ won't let him come. I miss him terribly so."

Jareth perched himself on her shoulder gently and rubbed his head against her, "You're a weird bird, you know that? Birds are supposed to fly away when they see a human. Are you somebody's pet, I wonder? Can you do any tricks?"

He hooted in response. Jareth noticed the little red book on her vanity. He flew over and picked it up with his talens. Sarah got it from him, "You've got to be more careful, Mr. Owl. You don't want to rip this book. It was given to me by Jeremy. There's a young girl, a wicked stepmother, and a baby. Do you know who my favorite character is though? It's the goblin king. He a sneaky one, but I think that's why I like him."

Jareth heard her dog Merlin scratching at the door. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell, and Merlin would definitely know it was him in owl form. He flapped his wings rapidly. "Merlin stop it! Don't worry, sweet bird. I won't let him get to you. You know, I think the only ones who remember my birthday are animals. I don't suppose you've got a present in your beak?"

Jareth shook his head and Sarah continued, "I didn't think so. I feel terribly lonely sometimes, Mr. Owl. It's not fair. My dad and stepmom ignore me. I don't really have friends any more. My mom only calls every once in a while. With Jeremy, it feels like he does not exist on this earth aside from my birthday. That's pretty silly, right? Then again, here I am talking to a bird."

He nuzzled his head on her neck as tears spilled down her face, "One day, I am going to be far away from here. I'm going to be a famous actress. I'll climb tall mountains and slay dragons and other exciting things. Maybe then, someone will love me." Sarah cried even harder and ran to her bed. She buried her face in her pillow. Jareth's heart broke for the girl. He wished that he could hold her. Maybe when she beat the labyrinth, she could stay with him. He would never let her go a minute feeling unloved and uncared for. She would have the best adventures.

When Sarah fell asleep, he changed into his human form. Jareth wiped her tears with his thumb and tucked her in. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I still love you, Sarah. Sweet dreams." Then he made a crystal and returned back home.

His mother was waiting for him in his room, "Jareth, I was looking all over you." Her eyes were bloodshot.

"What happened, Mother?" he said as he held her in his arms. At that moment he was not sure who needed the embrace.

"You're uncle's disease is getting worse. So far he's pushed way past what any of the healers expected. He has always been a fighter. This morning, he woke up and he could not move his arms or legs. They've been injecting him with nutrients all day."

Jareth rubbed her shoulder, "Is he still talking?"

"Yes, but barely. Go see him. He's in the infirmary," she responded. Jareth gave his mother a kiss before running off to the infirmary. It was not a large or extravagant infirmary. There were a few cots and white curtains that acted as dividers. An elf healer ran his fingers over a small chart in his hand. He nodded every couple of seconds and looked at the king just as frequently. It was hard to see his uncle in such a state. Despite all their troubles, the man was like a father to him. Jonathan and James stood silently by him. He knew something was terribly wrong when the two of them were quiet.

Dominic spoke in a strained voice, "I would like to speak to Jar- . . . uh. Erm, in private, please." James and Jonathan nodded.

"Don't speak too much. You must save your voice, Uncle. You must get better," Jareth told him.

"Nonsense. I will speak . . . k, ka, kaw . . . you will l-listen. I-I don't. Um . . . I don't have much t-t-time left. It's spah . . . spah . . . spreading." It was painful to hear him talk. He even stumbled over the simple words. He kept gasping for breath.

Jareth held his hand, "You'll make it through, Uncle. You've made it this long."

"I w-w-will not. A co k, k, couple m-mo-months, at the m-most. I can n-no lo-longer make deci-sh-decisions as . . . k-king."

"Sure you can. The healer will get you up and out faster than you can say-"

The king shut his eyes tightly to muster up the strength to speak, "Jare-Jareth, you must take . . . o-o-over t, t,the kingdom . . . you must be . . . king." His head dropped to the side. Jareth's heart thudded so heart, he could feel the pulse in his ears. He was not ready to be king.

"Healer, is my uncle alright?" he asked.

"He is sleeping. Even the simplest of tasks take a lot of energy out of him. I don't think he has much longer to live, but he has surprised me before. At any rate, he will never regain the functionality of his limbs," the elf answered. It was sad, really. His uncle, the once mighty king, could not move an arm or string together a full sentence without gasping for air. Jareth took one last glance at Dominic. He shook his head as if to make the image go away some how. Then he made a stand with a crystal on top. Even if he could not walk, he could at least see what was going on in the labyrinth. It would make his bed rest more bearable.

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He ran through the halls of the castle, though he was not sure where he was going. The walls seemed to shift every which way just like the labyrinth. He found himself in front of the door. Every hall became a dead end. Hesitantly, he walked through the door. He found himself in the throne room surrounded by goblins. The throne seemed to call out to him. He walked over and sat on it. He felt the soft material under him. The goblins stood still in shock.

"That's kingy's chair!" a goblin screamed. All of the goblins started yelling and hollering at him. Jareth could hardly think.

"Quiet!" Jareth did his best impersonation of his uncle, "I am the king now, and if anyone has a problem with that, I will suspend them head first into the bog of eternal stench." The goblins cheered and went back to what they were doing before. Their intelligence astounded him. So this was his destiny. He had to rule over these furry little things. Jareth groaned in despair.

* * *

Alexandria, James, and Jonathan looked for Jareth, after being told that he ran off. They went down various halls and checked various rooms. After a while, they got to the throne room and opened the door. Alexandria gasped when she saw Jareth with goblet of wine in one hand his legs thrown over the arm of the throne casually. This was not acceptable behavior.

"Jareth, get off that throne this instant. That throne is for the king!" she yelled.

"Didn't you hear?" Jareth spat out sarcastically, "I am king. The official coronation will be next week, of course. As of today, all of this, it's mine."

Alexandria fumed, "Jareth, you're drunk!"

"No, Mother, I am liberated," he corrected, "All of the training, all of the lessons, and now the day is here. It is time to celebrate."

"Your uncle is in the infirmary, Jareth."

Jareth looked utterly bored, "And so, he shall remain for the rest of his days. This is the dawning of a new era, Mother."

She walked up to him and smacked him on the face, "Show some respect." Jareth was so drunk he did not feel it, but he knew it happened.

"Why should I? This is the beginning of the end of my life, Mother," he whined.

"You needn't be so dramatic, Jareth," James stated, "I spent my entire life being told that I would one day be king. Then our uncle decides that he would pick you. Now you are being an ungrateful little runt. I would have killed to be in your position."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at that, "Then please, my dear brother, sheathe your happy dagger inside my throat. Be king and put me out of my misery."

"Jareth, you knew this was coming," his mother stated.

"I did, but when the moment came I was unprepared," he sighed. Jareth began weeping in his seat. Alexandria rubbed his shoulder as buried his face in his hand. He spent so much time worrying about Sarah that his lesson went out the window. He felt like they put him to battle blind and naked. Jareth would still have to carry out the plan with Sarah. The spell could not be broken. He did not know if he could prepare the labyrinth and rule the goblin kingdom at the same time.

Jareth knew he could not spend too much time sulking. He had to prepare for the coronation. There was a speech he needed to write to help transition the citizens from ruler to the next. Jareth needed to plan the food, music, and entertainment. His attire had to be perfect. The citizens would need a good impression of him as king. It was true that most of the citizens loved him since he was a boy. He was much more sweet, kind, and generous than any of the other royals. The problem was that he was very young. They would have their doubts of him as a ruler, but it was his job to make sure they had none.

He did not know what kind of ruler he would be. All he knew is that he could not be as cruel as the elf king or even his uncle for that matter. He would be stern enough to keep order and that was it. He wanted to do what was best for the kingdom and not for tradition. There was still a war and it was not going to be won if they kept doing what they have always done. It would take time. Jareth was no fool. These changes would not happen overnight.

Naturally, he would have to appoint new advisors because all of these decisions could not be made by one person. Power can corrupt the incorruptible. He must stay pure of heart to move the kingdom forward. Jareth wondered if his uncle was ever like him. The thought saddened him. If Dominic was ever sweet and innocent, all of the war and blood smothered out that flame long ago. His father was sweet. Jareth did not remember him too well; his brothers could probably describe him more accurately. He was a boy when he had lost him. Even so, he remembered his father reading to him about the Aboveground. He remembered him nursing his wounds and singing him songs. Dorian did all of the things that fathers were supposed to do.

"Excuse me, Mother," he attempted to stand up from the throne, but he was still a tad bit woozy from the alcohol.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He kissed her hand, "I must rest. I've got a big day ahead of me tomorrow."

"You are going to be alright?" she sounded unsure because of the outburst he just had. He knew he was stressed, but there was nothing she could do about it. This was his battle to fight not hers. She knew Dominic and her had chosen Jareth correctly. Jonathan was not a leader and James would run the goblin kingdom into the ground. Though he was inebriated at that point in time, she knew he would take the job seriously. Even if he did not want to be king, he would grow into the position much like one would grow into a new pair of shows.

"I always am, Mother," he nodded.


	7. Labyrinth

The day was here. It was Sarah's fifteenth birthday. It was the day when Sarah would run the labyrinth. Jareth said goodbye to his uncle in the infirmary, even though Dominic could only muster a few gurgles in return.

Sir Didymus called Jareth in the hall, "Everyone is in their rightful place. What should I do, your majesty?"

Jareth thought, "Um . . . um, guard the bridge by the bog. Make sure no one crosses without your permission." That would be good enough security to keep goblins out and Sarah in.

He went Aboveground with a few goblins to see Sarah. Jareth wanted to be right there when she wished. First, he had the goblins hide in her closet. Then he took his owl form and searched for her. She was not home like he had expected, but Karen, Robert, and their new baby, Toby, was. It seemed as though they forgot her birthday again. He went towards the lake and saw Sarah and Merlin.

Sarah had her hair done up like a queen and wore a long flowing white dress. She was reading the tiny red _Labyrinth _book. It seemed as though she was trying to memorize it, but she was failing miserably. It started raining, as it normally did this time of year. They heard a clock tower go off. Sarah and Merlin ran home as fast as possible. Jareth could not follow her in the house so this was where the goblins would come in handy. He watched the goblins through one crystal and her family through another.

Of course, most of the goblins fell asleep. When they woke up, they could not stay quiet. He should have brought dwarves, but it was too late for that. It took a while, but she did say the magic words. She said the words that his uncle cursed her into saying. He took a deep breath in order to get into character. Jareth flapped his wings and made his entrance.

"You're him, aren't you? You're the goblin king," she said, looking terrified. "I want my brother back if it's all the same." It hurt him to see her scared of his true form, but he had a part to play. He did his part and tried to tempt her into not running the labyrinth. Jareth knew it was useless, but he had to try. He did not know the labyrinth was going to actually take her brother. It was just part of the story he wrote. If she did not defeat the labyrinth both her and her brother would die.

"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late," he pleaded. As soon as she stepped foot in the labyrinth, the clock would start. He showed her the clock so she would be aware of this. Jareth returned to the castle to check on his uncle. He saw that Dominic was watching Sarah intensely in the crystal that Jareth had given him. The actor, Hoggle, was greeting her, as they watched.

Dominic choked out, "G-g-g cou-good k-k-ki-ng-g."

"I was frightening, wasn't I? I realize now, Uncle, that I cannot be gentle with my subjects. They will take advantage of me. I cannot allow that if I am to be a great king. Sarah needs to pay for her mother's crimes," he lied, "She will have to not only go through the labyrinth, but also go through me." Dominic nodded slowly. He would be watching the whole time so it was important for Jareth to stay in character even when Sarah was not around, for the sake of his uncle. Jareth did not want his uncle spending his last days thinking he handed the kingdom over to a pushover.

A goblin rushed over to Jareth holding the baby, "What I do with this?"

"For heavens sakes, give me the baby!" Jareth took the child. Now, he would have to rule the kingdom, help Sarah, and babysit. Things could not get any worse. He took Toby to the throne room, hoping that the goblins would provide entertainment for the screaming child. He kept a crystal on a stand to keep tabs on her.

It seemed like the baby would never stop crying. He made a bottle appear, but it seemed as though it was not hungry. He checked the diaper, and it smelled horrid. It seriously rivaled the bog of eternal stench. He used a crystal to make that foul smelling thing go as far away as possible. Jareth thought it would fix the problem, but it had not. The babe went back to screaming. It was no wonder Sarah wished him away. Jareth sat him in the center of the throne after already being exhausted with him.

He tapped the edge of his boot with his riding crop. Then he looked at the time, and found out that only three and a half hours had passed. He did not know how much more he could take. Jareth decided that a song might entertain the babe. After all. the goblins enjoyed. Mentally, there was very little difference between a goblin and a human child accept for the amount of alcohol consumption. The baby smiled so he saw it as progress and continued. He through the baby in the air and danced. The baby giggled, and Jareth realized that the baby was actually a bit endearing.

The baby grew tired, so he gave Toby to one of the goblins to put him down for a nap. He watched the crystal, and found that Sarah was in the oubliette. He acted as if she had made it too far, but it was quite the opposite. She really needed to hurry if she was going to make it in time. Hoggle would meet up with her in a moment. He decided that he would pay her a visit as well, in order to make her go a bit faster.

Jareth sent a crystal by the false alarms. He was dressed as a blind beggar. Sarah looked surprised when revealed himself. Hoggle had one of Sarah's bracelets on his wrist and was glad that she remembered that lesson from him. Jareth really did a great job picking out Hoggle. He played the perfect terrified, double-crossing henchman. The dwarf even begged on his knees. He would have applauded it if he was not in character as well. Jareth decided to move the clock forward two hours. She still had thirteen hours to defeat the labyrinth, but the allusion of less hours might be good motivation to make her move faster. He summoned the cleaners to make her run down a short cut that he had found a couple years back. It would never hurt her or Hoggle, but it did get her to move.

He returned to the castle to check on the baby. The baby had just woken up so he gave him a bottle. He watched Sarah through the crystal. The goblins had caught the rockcaller, Jareth had told them about earlier. This beast would be a great ally. When Toby finished the bottle, Jareth burped him.

"He's a lively little chap. I think I'll call him 'Jareth.' He's got my eyes," Jareth mused aloud. He was completely smitten with the baby. He did not spend too much with anyone besides the goblins now that he was king. This was a welcome change. He was rather adorable. Jareth looked at the crystal and found that the rockcaller was missing. It was time to give Hoggle the peach. He would have her use his short cut. It was a good thing Hoggle stayed in character even when Sarah was gone.

Unfortunately, Sarah got tangled up with fireys while he was talking to Hoggle. They were dangerous even for him. Hoggle would have to save her as soon as possible. The fireys were out of his control. Sarah unexpectedly kissed Hoggle so Jareth had to hold up his end of the bargain. He had them fall near the bog, but not close enough to get in it. The rockcaller had been there as well.

Soon they had met up with Sir Didymus and his steed, Ambrosius, but he had wasted too much time fighting the rockcaller when he should have just let them through. Luckily, Sarah was smart enough to fix the situation. Her luck had run out when the old bridge snapped. She held onto the branch as the rockcaller called on these boulders to act as platforms to get her down and across. The beast was more clever than Jareth had given him credit for.

Hoggle pretended that he was going to through the peach in the bog, like Jareth had told him too. Jareth used an omniscient voice to stop him. He thought that little trick would amuse his uncle. Toby started crying again so Jareth took him to the crystal to see Sarah. That seemed to calm him. Sarah and her small group of friends walked through the forest complaining of hunger. Hoggle gave Sarah the peach. Quickly, he gave the baby to a goblin. Jareth sent out bubbles to slightly alter her ballroom dream. He added a clock. The chime would wake her.

Curiosity got the better of him and he peaked inside of her dream through the crystal. Sarah was searching in a bubble much like in his dream. Except, she did not see the mysterious black-haired woman. She was searching for him. The black-haired woman was Sarah. He felt his fingers tingle as she took her hand in his. He sang to her. Sarah danced with him and she seemed entranced by him, and he was entranced by her. There was an unspoken tension in the air. For the first time, Jareth saw Sarah as a woman and not a small girl who needed rescuing. The clock struck and Sarah was taken out of her trance. She ran from him. The dream Jareth looked hurt when she left. The real Jareth could not help to feel the same.

Sarah had fallen into the trash just has as planned. There was a garbage woman walking about. These women were bad, but they would unknowingly jog her memory with Sarah's fake room. Sir Didymus and Ludo were not far away. They would help her move forward. Jareth took a break from viewing the crystal when the baby got fussy. He decided to play with him for a while because Sarah would here soon enough.

Jareth was completely content letting Sarah walk through the kingdom unnoticed. Unfortunately, the goblin guard brought her to his attention. Now, he had to do something about it. Jareth gave the baby to a goblin. He had to scramble a goblin army, but he was fairly certain they would not do any damage. The lot of them did not have enough collective intelligence to tie a single not.

He decided to wait for her in the Escher room. This was the final stage. The end of the labyrinth. If she could solve this, she would have done the impossible. This was the one part he could not beat. He walked around on the different stairs and found that goblin had left him there unattended. Sarah finally showed up looking as beautiful as ever. Jareth wanted to tell her that he wanted her to stay with him when this was all over. Jareth wanted to tell her that he loved her. He did not know how, though. He thought that maybe she was too young to understand. Jareth sung to her, but she was too busy with Toby to notice.

Jareth watched her intently. He had made eye contact with her right before she had jumped down to save Toby. She did it. She solved the Escher room. She solved the labyrinth. The whole room collapsed around them. Jareth tried to keep playing the villain, but his true colors were showing. She began saying the magic words that would everything. He kept stalling so he could cherish these last few moments. The time was not up yet.

"Just fear me, love me, and do as I say, and I will be your slave," he told her. That was all he wanted. He wanted to do everything to her that she did to him. What she did not know was that he was already her slave. He spent years getting ready for this moment and now he wanted to hold onto it forever.

"You have no power over me," she said. The words cut like a knife, echoed in his head, and sent his whole world crumbling down. At the final sound of the clock, he flew off in his owl form. He went to watch her from the window. The babe was safe in bed. Her parents were home. Her friends talked to her through a mirror, joined her, and had a party. Jareth flew off into the night.

* * *

Jareth flew through the infirmary window and landed beside uncle and too his fae form. He saw his mother and his two brothers crying.

The elf bowed when he saw Jareth, "Your highness, the former king Dominic is dying. His heart rate is dangerously slow."

Jareth breathed in and moved his uncles hair out of his face, "You can't die, Uncle."

"Y-y-oo for-forbid-d -dit?" Dominic asked.

"Yes," he cried.

Dominic cried, "I-I-I n-nev-never b-bel- ee . . d . . . in mir-miracles un . . . until t-t-today. S-she won."

Jareth broke down, "At least you can say that you lived long enough to witness the impossible."

"Y-y-you m-made me proud . . ." the king shut his eyes and would never open them again. Jareth sobbed into Dominic's chest. His mother pulled him back and into his arms.

"I-I can't believe he's gone," he choked out.

She rubbed her son's back, "Do you remember what you told me when your father died, Jareth? You told me that no one ever really leaves us. They stay in our hearts, our minds, and our souls. I know it's hard, Son, but I want you to remember that."


	8. Do You Believe Me?

_Three years later. . . _

Sarah scratched her head in annoyance. She hated waking up early. She hated her room. The room was always bright and white. It hurt her eyes. She especially hated waking up to take her medicine. They were the size of horse pills, and no matter how much she water she drank it with, the sides of her throat would still hurt.

"Sarah, it's time to take your medicine," Nurse Pamby called. Nurse Pamby was a large nurse red-headed nurse with freckles and was built much like a man. Out of everyone in the mental hospital, Sarah hated her the most.

"I don't want to take my medicine. All it does is make me sleepy. It's counter productive, if you are trying to wake me up," Sarah countered.

Nurse Pamby groaned, "Take your stupid pills or the goblin guy will get you."

Sarah threw the pills on the floor, "It's the goblin _king. _I may be crazy, but I am not stupid . . . unlike you."

"I don't know. It was pretty stupid of you to throw those pills on the floor. I might have to get security to calm you down. Who's the idiot now?"

"Still you. You went to school all of those years to give pills and wipe asses," Sarah spat out. The nurse lifted her fist right before an orderly escorted her out of the room. Another orderly raised his eyebrows at her. His name was Jerome Brown. He had dark skin, short hair, and big kind eyes.

He handed Sarah new pills and water, "Must we do this every morning?"

Sarah put her head down in shame, "Oh, I'm sorry Jerome. That woman is as horrible as they come."

"Even worse than the goblin king?" he asked. Sarah knew he was not mocking her. Jerome was her best friend in this place. He was the only one who took time to listen to her.

"I think so," she smiled. Sarah took the pills and water from his hand and swallowed with a large gulp.

Jerome took the cup, placed it on her desk, and reached into his pocket, "I almost forgot. Happy birthday, Sarah." He gave her a small book of crosswords, word searches, riddles, and mazes.

Sarah's eyes watered, "Oh, Jerome! It's perfect. Thank you!" She had not expected to get a gift. After all, she had been in this facility for almost three years without a visitor. She would get a letter from her mother or father every once in a while, but she got the feeling that they did not want to see their daughter like this.

This all began the day after she defeated the labyrinth. Robert went to see Sarah after he got off the phone with Linda. She seemed to be very upset about something, and kept asking if Sarah was okay. He noticed that Sarah had put away a lot of her childhood things. She thought about his question and decided to tell him the truth about the labyrinth. He then told Karen her little story. Karen decided Sarah was too old to believe these fairytales, and she needed to see a professional.

Karen, Robert, and Sarah went through family therapy for a couple of months. Karen told the doctor that Sarah was so attached to her biological mother that she could not move forward like other girls her age. Robert told the doctor that Sarah was molested by Jeremy, and her childish behavior was her way of coping. Sarah kept insisting that everything she said was true. She even attempted to show them Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo. She called them in the mirror; she saw them, but unfortunately she was the only one who could.

After so many trials of failed combinations of medication and therapy, her parents decided to put her in a mental hospital. Sarah felt terribly lonely, but she did call her friends in mirrors every day. That was until Nurse Pamby suggested they remove the mirror from her bathroom and all reflective surfaces, just to be safe.

"Jerome?" she asked before she got lost in her own thoughts again.

"Yes?"

Sarah bit her lip, "Do you believe me? That is, do you believe me when I talk about the labyrinth?"

"My mother used to tell me that God put us all on different paths. We all see things a little differently because of it. I can't tell you what you see isn't real any more than you can tell me what I see isn't real. I don't know what's going on in front of your eyes, but I believe you. I will take your word a hundred times because you've never lied to me before," Jerome answered. He always knew what words to say. She hugged him.

"Thank you, Jerome. I needed that."

Jerome brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "Now can I ask you something?"

Sarah nodded, "Anything."

"You are so miserable in here. Why don't you wish for the goblin king to take you? Not that I don't want you here, but you would be so much happier with your friends," he questioned.

"The thing is, I can't trust the goblin king," she admitted.

Jerome looked her in the eyes, "You have already defeated him once. He has no power over you, remember? Anything that he can throw at you would be much better than wasting your life here. There you are a champion; here you are a lunatic. You are a special girl, and I don't want you wasting all of your potential."

"Do you say this to all of the patients?" she asked.

"Only the ones that don't try to hurt me," he joked, "I got Gertrude to make you something special for breakfast. Let's hurry up. I don't want you to be late." Sarah followed him to the cafeteria before he left. She got her forest green trey and slid it down the counter.

Gertrude smiled at her, "Strawberry french toast for the birthday girl."

A patient yelled, "That's not fair. All I got for my birthday was oatmeal."

"That's because you called me an old fart. Never mess with the people who make your food. Enjoy your meal, Sarah," she responded, winking at Sarah. She sat down at a table next to two other girls. Sarah did not know their names, but they always sat together. One did not talk much and the other did not stop talking, even though it was mostly to herself. They were nice enough, though.

"I don't suppose I could get some candles," Sarah pondered to aloud. The quiet one took her fork and stabbed Sarah's french toast. First Sarah thought she was going to take Sarah's food; then Sarah realized she was making a makeshift candle. The girl smiled and Sarah smiled back.

The loud one stood up and began singing, "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sarah! Happy birthday to you!"

The quiet one whispered in her ear, "Make a wish and blow out your fork."

Sarah closed her eyes and thought really hard. She thought really hard about the conversation that she had with Jerome. She thought about the labyrinth, the goblin city, and all of her friends. Mostly, she thought of _him_. Sarah closed her eyes and wished that the goblin king would take her away. Then she blew out the fork, and the air around her changed.

"Sarah," Jerome called, "You've got a visitor."

Her heart went cold, "I've got a visitor?"

He smiled, "Yes, follow me." They walked down a few hallways. She had not gone down these halls since she had arrived at the hospital. Jerome opened the door with some kind of badge key. Sarah squealed when she saw her visitor.

"Jeremy!" she yelled. He opened his arms wide and embraced her.

"Happy birthday, Sarah," he said kissing her head, "I think you've grown a foot taller since I have last seen you." Jeremy went back to signing some paper work.

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

"Well, your mother was supposed to fill this out, but she got in a bit of an accident," Sarah looked terrified so Jeremy clarified, "Don't worry; she's all right. She just could not make it here. I am signing this on her behalf."

"What is the paper for?"

Jeremy smirked, "Your freedom." Sarah smiled and kissed him. He handed her a black backpack.

"What's this?" she asked.

"So full of questions today, aren't we, Sarah? These are a new change of clothes. There's a restroom right there you can change in. Then you could say your 'goodbyes' to any of your friends, if you wish," he answered.

One of her doctors came through the door, "You can't take her."

"Why not?" Jeremy asked.

"She is not ready to leave. She attacked a nurse this morning," the doctor informed him.

Jeremy smirked, "Naughty, naughty, Sarah. I will give her a stern talking to when we get home." Sarah laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Sir, she is a danger to society!"

"If push comes to shove I will provide her with a better and more qualified doctor. Hurry and get dressed, love. I want to catch a movie for your birthday," Jareth responded while eyeing the doctor. Sarah got to the bathroom and got dressed as fast as she could. He brought her a grape-colored shirt with white sleeves, jeans, white underclothing, and black converse sneakers. She looked in the mirror and realized that she looked a lot older than she remembered. She combed through her hair with her fingers so she would look a little more presentable for the outside world.

Sarah held out her hospital clothes, "What do I do with these?"

Jerome held out his hand, "I'll take them. I guess your wish came true, Sarah."

"Not quite, but this is much better anyway," she answered, "I'll miss you Jerome. Thank you, again, for everything." Sarah hugged him tight.

"I'll miss you too, Sarah Williams," Jerome answered.

Jeremy clicked the pen and put on the table, "All ready?"

Sarah nodded, "Yes." Jeremy took her arm and walked out with her. The sun seemed a lot brighter than she remembered. It felt nice to feel the warm breeze hit her back. She was free now. He walked her over to a small midnight blue Acura Integra. Then, he opened the passenger door to let her in. She sat down as Jeremy took his seat. The both of them buckled themselves, and Jeremy buckled himself in.

"So tell me Sarah, how have you been?" he asked as he started driving.

"You said my mother sent you. Why does she want me now? Why hasn't she come visit me?" She countered.

Jeremy flashed a grin, "Clever, clever. Okay, so maybe your mother did not call me to pick you up."

"How did you get me out then?"

He made a turn, "Maybe I falsified a few documents."

Sarah took a deep breath, "That's a federal offense. You could get arrested for that."

"Only if you told," he laughed, "Look, Sarah. I am not going to kidnap you. If you want to go back, I'll turn right around. I just thought since you are an adult now, you'd like to see more than a fluffy white room."

"Did my parents ever want me out?" Sarah whispered with tears welling up in her eyes.

Jeremy rubbed her back with his free hand, "Don't worry about them, Sarah. What matters now is that I am here. I will take good care of you. I love you."

"If you love me so much, why didn't you visit me either?" she asked.

"You were still under your father's custody, and he did not want me near you. Now that you are eighteen, this officially your decision to make. What will it be Sarah?" Jeremy questioned. They sat in silence for a long while. She watched the signs pass her by. She was not sure what to say, but she knew she did not want to go back.

She closed her eyes, "I want to stay with you. I also wanted to say that I am sorry."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow, "For what, dear?"

"For kissing you all those years ago. I feel like I screwed up everything that day," she looked down in shame.

"Oh don't worry yourself about that, love. You were just scared. I think your father was just looking for a reason to hurt me. Okay, we are here," he responded. Jeremy parked the car and they let themselves out. They were in front of a small movie theater.

Sarah wrapped her arm around Jeremy's waist, "What should we watch?"

"It's your choice, birthday girl. It's almost ten o'clock," he informed her. They went in line to get the tickets.

"We'll take two _adult _tickets to 'The Knight's Table' for ten," Sarah answered proudly.

The guy gave them the tickets when Jeremy paid him, "Enjoy your show." Jeremy bought them some popcorn and a soda before they went into the theater. The trailers seemed fascinating, but the movie itself was a complete bore. The couple two seats in front of them were content playing tonsil hockey for a majority of it. Jeremy seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat quite a lot. He would stare at Sarah's lips a great deal too.

When Sarah turned her head to get a sip of her soda, Jeremy kissed her. She was shocked by the contact, but was not displeased. If anything, she welcomed it. Sarah had a crush on Jeremy for as long as she could remember. She was glad to know that her feelings were not unrequited. He ran his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss when Sarah held him closer in approval. When he broke the kiss, Jeremy smirked and put his arm around the back of her chair. She leaned her head into his chest. Before they knew it, the movie was over.

"That movie was horrible. Next time, you get to pick the movie," Sarah commented. She shielded her eyes because they always hurt after being in a dark theater.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you mention it," Jeremy responded, "That movie was the most boring thing I have ever seen."

Sarah kissed Jeremy on the lips, "At least I had you for entertainment."

Jeremy wrapped his arm around her as they walked to the car, "I am just glad you didn't punch me in the face like your father." Sarah laughed so hard that she snorted, and Jeremy busted into a chuckle of his own. He opened the door for Sarah, and she sat in. Then leaned against the car.

"I should have punched you, you old pervert. I am only eighteen," Sarah joked, "How old are you anyway?"

"Old."

She playfully hit his chest, "I'm serious."

He looked up, "Thirty, I guess. I never really kept track."

"You've always kept track of my birthdays," Sarah countered.

"I suppose after you have hit your major milestones they don't matter as much as they used to," he retorted. He closed the door and walked into the other side. She gave him a peck on the cheek before he started to drive.

Sarah looked at the road in front of her, "Where are we going next?"

He took her hand and kissed it, "I have got a little surprise for you." It was weird how at peace she felt. One moment she was fighting with Nurse Pamby in a mental hospital and the next she is kissing the man of her dreams. It was surreal. Sarah was glad the goblin king did not take her away. She was much happier with Jeremy than anyone else. It hurt her to know that her family did not want her, but she had gotten that feeling for quite some time now. She wondered how Toby was doing and how he looked. The last time she saw him he could say only a few words. Sarah bet he could have full conversations now. She hoped he stayed a sweet boy.

Jeremy pulled over to the side of the road. There was a nice area with green grass and a big tree. He turned off the car and went to the trunk. Sarah got out of the car and walked towards the tree. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The sun beat down on her face and the wind blew through her hair. Jeremy pulled out a brown picnic basket and walked next to her by the tree. First, he pulled out a red and white checkered blanket. They sat down on it. Then he started covering the area with different foods.

Sarah leaned her head in Jeremy's lap and took a strawberry, "This is all so cute. Thank you, Jeremy."

He popped a grape into his mouth, "You're welcome, Sarah. Happy birthday." Jeremy took a chocolate kiss and traced her cleavage with it. Sarah's mouth gaped because of his brassness. He moved it up the side of her neck and traced her lips. She thought he was going to give it to her, but at the last second he threw it in his mouth. Sarah glared at him, and he laughed. When she went to speak, he placed a grape in her mouth and kissed her. After she swallowed the grape, she could not help but to laugh too.

"I don't think I have ever had this much fun in my life," Sarah admitted feeding Jeremy a strawberry. He took one bite before she finished the rest.

"I am glad that I could make that happen. You deserve this and so much more, my Sarah," he petted her hair, "Before we get too off topic, there is something very serious I need to talk with you about."

Sarah sat up, "Is there something wrong?"

Jeremy held her hands, "That is for you to decide, my love. As you probably know, I don't come from America. My visa is about to expire. The only way I could stay here, with you, is if I marry an American citizen."

"You want to marry me?" she gasped.

"It is just for paperwork purposes, I swear. After that, we could move as slow as we want to. Sarah, I am really sorry to spring this on you," Jeremy went to kiss her head, but she moved.

"You don't even love me. You were just using me for citizenship now that I am eighteen!" she cried.

Jeremy held her in his arms, "Sarah, Sarah, please. I got you out because I love you. Even if you said no to me, I would not take you back to the hospital. I could have asked anyone to marry me, but I didn't because I love you. Only you, Sarah."

Sarah stood up and wiped her eyes, "If that's true, then propose to me the right way."


	9. The King's Treaty

Jareth read over the treaty with the elf kingdom again and again. He was hoping to find a loophole. He was willing to pay for freedom, but this was a cost he was not sure he was ready for. King Oedisis wanted Jareth to marry his daughter to secure the bond between the two kingdoms. He did not know Princess Zoey, and was not sure if he could trust her. She could easily kill him, take his throne, and both kingdoms would be worse off for it.

"I am unsure of what to do," Jareth thought aloud.

"If only the king had another daughter. One who was not raised with him," Sir Didymus mused.

Linda picked up Sir Didymus and kissed him, "You're a genius, Sir Didymus!" Jareth had brought Linda Underground with him. Since she no longer had access to her husband or daughter, she had no reason to stay Aboveground. She worked as a writer for the goblin plays, and with her help they became somewhat bearable. Hoggle developed a bit of a crush on Linda, but was too bashful to say anything.

"I am? I mean of course I am, my lady!" he howled, "But how?"

Jareth laughed at the knight, "Sarah is his daughter. True, she was not raised by him, but she is still of his blood."

"Hopefully, that's all she has from that monster. Sarah turns eighteen next week. She will be an adult by all intents and purposes. The only problem is getting her out of the mental institution and getting her to marry you. I no longer have any parental rights towards her. If I did, I would have never let her go in that horrid place. Robert took out a restraining order against me," Linda explained with anger in her voice.

Jareth nodded his head in contemplation, "I could always falsify documents to get her out. It would not be too difficult. She won't agree to marry me though. She thinks the goblin king is some awful super villain."

"Sarah would marry Jeremy, though. She had always taken a fancy to him. I remember she used to write Jeremy with little hearts all over her notebooks. It was the sweetest thing. You could tell her that you need to get married quickly to get citizenship. She would help you out if she did not know who you really were. Once the marriage is consummated it would make it legally standing in both Aboveground and Underground."

"So basically you want me to trick your daughter into marriage and have sex with her. Sarah is lovely, but she is still a child in my eyes. I can't do that to her," he sighed.

Linda held his arms, "You need to do this. I love my daughter, but the fate of both kingdoms are resting in both of your hands. How many more villages need to be pillaged? How many more creatures need to be raped or murdered? How many children need to be orphaned? This has to stop. It stops when you marry my daughter. I trust you with her, and I know you would never try to hurt her."

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're right. I will have to meet with some Aboveground specialist that can help me get the necessary paperwork to get out Sarah."

"Jareth, please butter her up and be romantic a bit, before you propose. Open doors and take her places. Maybe you could get her a nice ring," Linda suggested.

"Great idea. Didymus, please, get hold of Ludo. He will be able call on the most precious stones for our dear Sarah. Then you could take them to my mother, she will be able to find an acceptable jeweler to craft a ring of the very best quality. I want nothing short of excellence for the future goblin queen, Didymus," Jareth commanded.

* * *

Jareth went Aboveground with everything he needed. He was able to purchase a small car for any Aboveground needs years ago. His brother, Jonathan, taught him the basics of driving because he had spent a lot of time Aboveground. He spoke to the person in the front of the hospital and asked them to call for Sarah while he finished signing everything.

He was shocked when he first saw her. Sarah was in a white hospital clothing, she bags under her eyes, and her hair was wild and unkept. She certainly looked like she belonged in a mental home. He felt so sorry for her. Humans were unbelievable cruel to the most vulnerable in society. He wanted to weep, but he plastered on a smile for her sake. The doctor seemed frustrated with him, but he hardly cared. He just wanted to get Sarah dressed and out of there as soon as possible.

Sarah got out of the restroom looking much better than she did before. Jareth decided he was not going to take her to a restaurant for the proposal. He figured that a nice quiet picnic would be better. She could use some sun and fresh air. First, he planned on taking her to the movies. Sarah loved movies when she was younger. He remembered watching them with her and having recite the word right along because she had seen them a hundred times already.

They talked in the car a bit and went into the theater. The movie was extremely boring. In front of them, was a couple making out. Some of the men would put their arms around their significant other's seat. He figured that this was an Aboveground tradition. Jareth thought about what Linda said about being romantic towards Sarah. Then he thought about consummating their marriage. He shifted around in his seat so Sarah could not see his arousal. Jareth kept looking at the couple and back at Sarah.

Her lips looked so soft and pink; he wondered how they would taste. All of sudden, she turned her head towards him, and he kissed her. He thought about breaking the kiss, but he felt her lips moved in response. She held him closer as he ran his fingers through her hair. He gave her nervous smile. Jareth could not believe that he had just really kissed Sarah. It was not her that time. He initiated it. He loved her and hated that he had to lie to her to save his kingdom.

After the movie was done, they went to the car. Sarah was completely smitten with him. She would touch and kiss him whenever she got the chance. Jareth would return the affection as well. He did not want Sarah to think he was nervous. The proposal could either go horribly wrong or amazing well. He decided he would use the situation regarding the citizenship first and then pull out the ring. Sarah got out when he parked the car. Jareth made a crystal that became a picnic basket.

Once he got the picnic set up, she laid her head on his lap. They were talking and eating food. He picked hand foods mostly because he thought it be romantic to feed each other. Jareth could not help but notice how plump her breasts looked when she was laying down. He took a piece of chocolate and ran it over her breasts just to see her reaction; he wanted to know if he could seduce her. Oddly enough, he had never tried to seduce a woman. He had met ladies and princesses from many kingdoms that held some kind of attraction to him, but his mind was always elsewhere. His brothers were usually the ones to console these broken hearted women.

Jareth felt so bad, but he had to break Sarah the news. The poor girl was crying the entire time. Sarah stood up and Jareth thought she was going to leave before she said, "If that's true, then propose to me the right way."

He got on bended knee and pulled out the ring, "Sarah Williams, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she gasped when she saw how beautiful the ring was. Clearly, she was not expecting a ring, and if she was, it was not to this magnitude. He put it on her finger and she squealed. It was silver with an emerald center and small diamonds surrounding it. "Jeremy, it's so beautiful. It must have cost you a fortune."

Jareth stood up and wrapped his arms around her, "I would spare any expense for you, my pet." Sarah kissed him deeply. Then she pushed him on to the grass and straddled his waist. Jeremy wrapped his arms around her. They rolled around in the grass kissing and laughing.

"I love you, Sarah Williams," he stated.

"Don't you mean _Sarah King_? I mean we are getting married," she corrected, feeling the diamonds on her ring.

Jareth smiled, "Misses Sarah King. I do like the sound of that. I especially like the fact that people will know that you are all mine." He nibbled her ring finger possessively.

Sarah giggled, "You wish! I belong to _me_ . . . but you could borrow me from time to time."

"I would not expect anything less, love," he answered. Jareth looked up when he felt a rain drop. Sarah had seemed to feel the same thing.

"Of course, it always has to rain on my birthday," Sarah mused.

Jareth ran his fingers through his hair, "Would you like to head to the car?"

"Not yet," she answered kind of dazed, "I just want to feel it." His heart melted when she tried to catch a rain drop on her tongue. She had been so deprived of nature that she actually enjoyed rain when she used to hate it. It was nice to see that even though she had been locked up and medicated, she could still enjoy life. The medication would be completely out of her system by the end of the day. Since she was fae, her body would work harder to remove harmful substances. Fae rarely got sick and could not get drunk on Aboveground liquor for this reason.

Sarah stood up and spread her arms out. Jareth got up and started shaking his hair. He was getting soaked. While Sarah enjoyed the rain, Jareth got the things packed up. She went to go help him, but he stopped her. Sarah needed this moment to get in touch with nature and herself. When everything was put away, Jareth held Sarah and kissed her.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yea, I am little bit sleepy," she yawned.

Jareth and Sarah went into the car, "You can rest in the car. I have got a hotel room not too far from here." Sarah nodded as she buckled herself in. He smiled at her as she fell asleep. The raindrops clung to her porcelain skin. Her cheeks were bright red as she slept. Despite what horrors she went through, she still looked so innocent in her sleep. It hurt Jareth to lie to her like this. Then again, he had lied to Sarah her entire life. He only wanted what was best for her.

After a while, they stopped at the hotel. Sarah groaned after being woken up, especially since they would now have to walk in the pouring rain. Jareth carried their luggage. She had offered to help, but he could tell that she was just trying to be nice. He would rather have her relax. They walked into the hotel lobby and into the elevator. Jareth pressed the number 3. He shook his head a few times to clear his headache. Elevators were extremely disorienting for him.

"Are you alright, Jeremy?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, my love," he answered.

She held his arm as they walked on to their floor, "I don't like elevators either. They give me headaches. Mom says it is because they are lined with iron. She said that there is a iron allergy or intolerance that runs in the family." Jareth almost forgot that Sarah was a fae, as well. Iron was potentially deadly to their kind. He guessed that Linda told her that she had an allergy to get her to avoid iron.

Jareth slid the card-key into one of the doors, "Well, here is our room." When it opened, Jareth allowed Sarah to walk in first. It was standard hotel room. There were two full-sized beds with peach floral coverings. In the front of the room, there was a small television and portraits of sailboats and a lighthouse.

"I like it. It's very cozy," Sarah stated.

"Sarah-love, I have to handle some last minute business regarding our fight plan," he told her.

She smiled, "Oh, where are we going?"

He cupped her chin, "It's a surprise, Precious. We are leaving tomorrow morning, though. Your sleepwear is in the green luggage. Just relax, watch some television, or take a nap. I will be back shortly." He kissed the top of her head before heading off. Jareth walked into a secluded hallway with a vending machine. With the flick of a wrist, he made a crystal. In the crystal, Linda and Alexandria appeared.

"Jareth, how did everything go," his mother asked.

"She said 'Yes,'" he answered, and both women cheered.

Linda looked concerned, "How is she? It must have been awful in that hospital."

"She is exhausted, but I think she will recover. She seems happy to be out of there."

His mother smiled, "So, what did she think of the ring?"

Jareth laughed, "She loves it, Mother. She won't stop staring at it." Linda and Alexandria hugged each other. His mother almost knocked over the crystal in excitement. The two of them had grown close over the last three years. Alexandria loved hearing Linda's new ideas for plays, and Linda loved sharing them.

"It breaks my heart that I won't be able to see my son marry," Alexandria responded sadly.

"I wish this marriage happened on better terms. I really do love Sarah," he sighed.

Linda clasped her hand together, "I know that no one wants it to be this way, but this is the way it has to be. I wish we could be honest with her, but I am afraid we cannot until the marriage is consummated."

Alexandria asked, "Do you think she will understand when all things are said and done?"

"I hope so," he groaned, "I will talk to you tomorrow." Jareth walked back to the room. He saw a large lump in the blankets on one of the beds that he assumed to be Sarah. Quietly, he went to the bag to find a change of clothes. It had been a long day, and he really needed some sleep. He took out a violet satin pajamas, took off his shirt, and headed to the bathroom. Jareth opened the bathroom door to find the Sarah was not actually in her bed. She was taking a bubble bath.

When she saw him, she squealed and covered herself, "You could have knocked!" His cheeks heated up in embarrassment. He could not get the image out of his head. His Sarah was all grown up.

Jareth looked at the ceiling rather than at her, "I apologize. I thought you were sleeping. You seemed tired." Before heading out, he took a peek at the mirror, hoping to get a second glance without Sarah noticing.

"Oh my god, you pervert! You were peeking!" she yelled.

"No, I wasn't," he lied.

She moved the shower curtain to cover herself better, "Yes, you were!"

Jareth walked out of the bathroom and shouted, "No, I wasn't!" Sarah was completely gorgeous. He wanted her in ways he had never wanted a woman before. While she was still in the bathroom, he took off his pants. He thought about putting on pajamas, but decided that he wanted to stay in his underwear. Jareth wanted to see what her reaction would be so he put his clothes away and laid on the bed. He folded his arms behind his head.

Sarah came out with new pink striped pajamas and her clothes in her hand. She did her best not to make eye contact with Jareth. It was a great effort on her part. When she did finally look at him, he smirked. She blushed when her eyes saw how aroused he was through his underwear. "Who is peeking now, Sarah-dearest?"

She tried not to blush, "Jeremy, put on some clothes. Just because we kissed earlier does not mean we are going to . . . _you know_."

"No, I don't know," he played dumb, "Please do explain."

"I am sleeping in the other bed," Sarah protested.

Jareth sat up, "Go ahead, but if you change your mind and come to my bed. I can't be held responsible for what happens next." Sarah bit her lip and looked him up and down. She looked back and forth between both beds. He patted an empty spot on the bed next to him. Sarah sat next to him timidly. He flashed his teeth at her. Jareth knew he could not take her virginity until after they were married, but he could have a little fun with her.

Sarah let out a nervous giggle. Jareth ran his fingers through her wet hair and kissed her lips. He started kissing her cheeks and making her way down her neck. She raked her fingers over his chest. Then, Jareth pushed her on to the bed. He pulled off her pajama pants and threw it to the side. Sarah's eyes widened. Jareth let out a throaty chuckle.

"Jeremy, I was serious earlier. I don't want to go all the way," she whispered as if she was worried someone could hear her.

"I would not dream of pushing things past your limit, Sarah," he assured her, "Plus, I do like the idea of virginal bride."

Sarah pouted, "How did you know I was a virgin?"

"I didn't," he breathed before nibbling her ear. Sarah held him closer as attacked the flesh on her neck. They started rolling around on the bed, kissing and touching everything within reach. He gasped when he felt her soaked panties brushed up against his still-clothed erection. Jareth slowly start thrusting himself against her. She closed her eyes and began making small cooing noises. He felt encouraged to go a little bit harder against her, when it was clear she was enjoying the feel. Sarah wrapped her legs around him. He was so close to release, but Jareth decided to back off her.

"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked a little out of breath. There was something wrong, but Jareth could not say it out loud. He wanted her badly, but he felt guilty. This poor girl spent three years in a mental facility and now he was going to trick her into marriage. She was going to be devastated.

Jareth picked up his clothing, "I am just a little tired. It has been a long day."

Sarah nodded in understanding, "Okay. I love you, Jeremy."

He ran up to her and gave her a peck on the cheek, "I love you too, Sarah. No matter what happens, I will always love you."


	10. I Do

At first, Sarah was happy about Jeremy's arrival, but now she was not so sure. She was happy that he finally saw her the way that she saw him all of these years. Part of her wanted to sing everytime he touched her; part of her was not ready. After what happened last night, she was beginning to think that perhaps Jeremy was not ready either.

"Jeremy?" Sarah called.

He pulled up his pants and turned to her, "Yes, love?"

"You wouldn't have any makeup with you by any chance?"

"Why? You look perfectly fine without it," Jeremy responded while buttoning up her shirt. She did not know how to explain it to Jeremy. In the hospital, she wore the same kind of clothes every day; her hair was done the same way every day. Sarah did not want to feel pretty, but she did want to change things up.

She yawned, "I don't know. It's just been such a long time since I have used any, but it's no big deal."

Jeremy kissed her on the head, "I will pick some up. You finished getting dressed and I am going to get us some breakfast."

"Thank you," she sighed.

"Is everything alright, Sarah?" he asked before heading out the door.

She nodded beginning to remove her pajama shirt, "Yea, everything is fine." Sarah felt weird without her medication. The doctors always seemed to take liberties with her because she seemed to be immune to everything. They made her tired and irritable, but they did not help the images go away. Sarah felt like she was in a haze. She could not tell if she was really happy or in love. Everything that happened the day before felt like a dream.

After putting on her jeans, she looked in the mirror. Sarah wondered if she should tell Jeremy about her hallucinations. Sure, he knew she was in a mental hospital, but he did not know the full extent of her condition. Jeremy wanted to get married, but did he really know what he was getting into. He could find another woman to marry for citizenship. It would not be hard for him; he was handsome with a lovely accent. Maybe she could go back to hospital or she could run away and join the circus or something.

Sarah put on her bra and grabbed a brush. She decided that she wanted to braid her hair today. Her hair felt so nice and clean. It smelled like kiwi and watermelon. She started looking around for something to tie her hair with. Her hair was thick, but not thick enough to stay in a braid for long without a hair tie. There was a rubber band tied around some tea bags she found in the room. She figured that it was better than nothing.

Jeremy opened the door with bags in his hand. He stopped when her saw her, "Sarah, are you forgetting something?"

"What?" she asked.

He put the bags down on the bed, "Well I, personally, love the look, but others might want you to put on a shirt." Her cheeks lit up. She went to grab a t-shirt, but Jeremy intercepted. He flashed her a devilish grin and pushed her on to an empty spot on the bed. Then, he ran his tongue up the side of her neck.

"Jeremy stop," she said firmly.

"What's the matter, love?" he questioned as he backed off her. His eyes were full of concern. She grabbed her shirt and put it on.

Sarah sighed, "I want to have a little talk."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow at that, "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No . . . I don't know . . . maybe? Look Jeremy, I'm not like other girls. I-I'm crazy. I see goblins and dwarves and fairies when I look into the mirror. I'm not good for you. I know you need citizenship, but I think you would be better off with someone else . . . someone normal," she cried.

"Why would you go and say a thing like that? Sarah, I don't think you are crazy. You see more than other people, and that is okay. I find normal to be completely overrated in any case. You are perfect and don't let anyone, including you, let you believe otherwise. Now, stop talking nonsense and let's eat. I am starving," Jeremy explained wiping the tears off her face. He sat Sarah on his lap and took out food with his free hand.

Sarah froze when he handed her a peach, "I don't really do peaches."

"You used to love them when you were a tot," Jeremy pointed out.

"The goblin king . . . um . . . he used a peach to make me fall asleep so I could not rescue Toby," she answered, blushing.

Jeremy smirked, "That blasted goblin king."

"I dreamt that I was dancing with him in a ballroom," she told him.

"Tell me Sarah, how was it dancing with this goblin king?"

Sarah twiddled her thumb, "Nice and weird. I don't know. It felt natural and it felt off at the same time."

"Well, Sarah, I can tell you that this peach is perfectly safe. No ballrooms and no goblin kings. Do you trust me?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes," she nodded, hesitantly. Sarah took a small bite of the peach. It tasted funny. She started to feel very sleepy. Soon she went off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Sarah's eyelids batted open and close. There were bright lights around her. She felt everything around her moving. It was odd because she had no idea where she was.

"Good morning, Sleepy-head, or should I say good afternoon? You know you slept through the entire plane ride. I had to carry you into the car myself. Luckily a man helped me with our luggage," he responded.

"Where are we?" she asked.

Jeremy smiled at her, "This was my surprise, Love. We are in Las Vegas, Nevada."

"Las Vegas!" She squealed in disbelief, "Are we going to get married here?"

"No, we are going hire some prostitutes and watch a magic show," he said sarcastically, "Of course, we are getting married here!"

She chuckled, "This is so cool. Do you think you could dress up like Elvis when we get married? I know it's a cliche, but I think it would be so much fun."

"No, that would be a bit too tacky even for me," he joked.

"I'm starting to get a little hungry."

Jeremy looked to the right before turning the wheel, "Well, we just passed an Italian restaurant and there is a sushi bar coming up. Does any of those interest you?"

"I've never tried sushi before. Is it any good?" she asked.

"I couldn't say. I have never tried it either. Feeling adventurous, Miss Williams?" he answered with a wink.

She threw hands up in the air, "Why not? It will be a night of firsts then." He held her hand and gave a kiss on the knuckles. Jeremy drove around looking for a good parking spot. After a while, they finally found one. He walked around to her side of the car and helped her out. When Sarah looked down she noticed that she was wearing a small sequined black dress instead of the shirts and pants she took out earlier. She assumed that the withdrawal from her medication might have been messing with her memory.

After seeing what Jeremy was wearing, she was glad that she was wearing the dress. He wore a black pin-striped suit that seemed hug him tighter than she thought was possible. She blushed when he caught her looking him over. Sarah could not help it; he looked jaw-droppingly sexy. They walked into the restaurant everything was lined with crimson and gold.

A man behind a podium said, "How many?"

"A table for two, please," Jeremy answered.

"Right this way," he walked off quickly. Jeremy and Sarah looked at each other in confusion until they realized they were supposed to follow him. He was a speedy guy. It was hard for them to keep up without seeming like they were running. They passed by a buffet with various types of sushi aligned perfectly. He took them to a booth towards the back of the restaurant. "What can I get for you to drink?"

Sarah looked at Jeremy then the waiter, "I guess I'll have a lemonade."

"Water will be fine for me, thank you," Jeremy responded. After the waiter left, Sarah took Jeremy to the buffet. She grabbed a plate and looked around. Jeremy followed suit. It seemed like he was imitating her because he did not know what to do. She knew he had never had sushi, but she was shocked when she realized he had never been to a buffet before. Sarah made sure to move slowly when picking up the different types of sushi so Jeremy would not look out of place picking out food. After they picked out the foods, Sarah got some chopsticks and sauces. They went back to the table and sat down.

"You've never been to a buffet before?" she asked.

He scrunched his face in confusion, "What is a buffet?"

Sarah laughed, "It's a line where people go to pick up food. We just were at the buffet line."

"I am used to having my food served to me. Why would I pay if I were getting it myself?" he asked.

"Well, you get more food than you would get at a normal restaurant, and you get a wider variety of item without the extra cost," she explained. Sarah pulled her chopsticks out of their sleeve and separated them. Jeremy followed suit. "These are chopsticks."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm not a complete idiot, Sarah." She busted out laughing when he tried to bite one. "Mine seems to be a bit overdone."

Sarah held the chopsticks in the correct manner, "Chopsticks are eating utensils not food." Jeremy blushed in embarrassment. He attempted to hold the chopsticks like Sarah, but he failed. Sarah moved his fingers around so he would get the right position. They both picked up a sushi roll with the chopsticks and took a bite.

"Now that's odd. It's not bad, but what is that green paper. The texture is a little . . . I don't know," Jeremy reacted.

"I think it's seaweed. The texture takes a little getting used to. Let's try the next one, I think it has avocado in it," she responded.

Jeremy nodded and bit into the next one, "I like this one better. I think I'll try it with this green sauce."

"Jeremy wait!" she yelled, but it was too late. He coated the entire roll in wasabi and popped it into his mouth. His eyes started watering, and he began coughing. He slapped the table a few times. "Jeremy, that's wasabi. I heard that it was extremely hot."

"What kind of sadistic bastard would make such a thing?" Jeremy yelled after wiping his tongue off with a napkin.

Sarah laughed, "You're only supposed to have a little bit. Drink some water." She left the table and came back with some noodles for them to share. Jeremy seemed relieved. He was done experimenting with food for the rest of the day. When he had some difficulty picking up the noodles with the chopsticks, Sarah fed him some with hers. A blonde woman with heavy makeup walked up to her. She had a tight red dress and she looked like she was sizing Sarah up.

"Sarah Williams, is that you? What are the chances of seeing you here?" she greeted. Sarah immediately recognized her voice. It was Janet, her old friend from middle school. This was the last person she wanted to see.

"Yea, it's me."

Janet chuckled, "I was just in Vegas because I got a small part on this cop show. We are filming in the area. So what are you doing here? The last I heard you were locked up in a looney bin."

Sarah clenched her fists and Jeremy held her hands, "Sarah and I are actually getting married tonight. Aren't we, love?" He kissed Sarah's ring finger before showing it to Janet. She looked perplexed by the size of the ring, but recovered quickly.

"Oh, Jeremy, I did not recognize you at first. It's so nice that you are helping out the mentally unstable. I do charity work too. I mostly work with animals, though," she chimed.

"It's nice that they let you work with your own kind. You must feel so at home. If you would excuse us, we must be heading out. If you want, you could have some of our table scraps. Be careful with the sushi, though, I hear it's not good for dogs," Jeremy countered, "Love, could you try to get the waiter's attention, I'd like to pay now."

Sarah gave him a quick peck on the lips, "Certainly." Janet walked off stomping her feet.

Jeremy laughed, "I never liked that girl." They paid for their meal and headed out. Jeremy helped her into the car before taking his own seat. It was starting to get dark out. They could finally see Las Vegas the way it was meant to be seen. It was filled with artificial beauty. She watched all of the lights as they looked even bigger and brighter than before. Jeremy stopped when they saw a wedding chapel with neon lights.

"Oh no, Jeremy, I don't have a wedding dress!" Sarah groaned.

"In the back of the car, you do. There is a changing booth inside the chapel. I already called in to make sure," he assured.

She smiled weakly, "You've got everything under control, haven't you?" It now hit her full force that she was about to get married. She was sweating, shaking, and panicking. Sarah was actually getting married. They were going to walk down the aisle and everything. She could not do this. She was much too young. Sarah was just not ready.

"I always do," he answered, "Sarah, you are not getting cold feet, are you? You seem nervous."

"Nervous? Who's nervous? Don't be silly," she lied, "Oh my god, we're really doing this." Jeremy stopped the car in front of the chapel.

He looked her in the eyes and said, "Everything will be fine. I love you, and I will take care of you. That will never change." Sarah kissed him with tears in her eyes. She really did not know why she was crying. Jeremy took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

"There always has to be someone crying at a wedding," she joked while still crying. Jeremy got out of the car and helped Sarah out. He held her in his arms a long while, rubbing her back to soothe her. His lips stayed firm against the top of her head. It felt like he was the only thing holding her up, and without him, the world would come crashing down. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he kissed the tears off her face. His hands seemed shaky as he brushed her hair out of her face.

"You are the most beautiful bride in this world and the next," he told her. Jeremy took two small bags out of the trunk. He gave the white one to her and kept the black one for himself. Sarah took his arm as they walked inside. There were two other couples in front of them; one of which was incredibly drunk. The two brides were eyeing Jeremy like a piece of meat. The drunk one waved at him, while her future husband shot her a glare. Sarah kissed Jeremy on the lips, marking her territory. Then, she sent the girls a little wink.

A man with a pink tuxedo walked up to them, "Have you made a reservation?"

Jeremy smiled, "Yes, I am Jeremy King and this is Sarah Williams. I called earlier."

"Ah yes, well come right along," he answered, "There are changing facilities in the back like you requested. Groom to the right; bride to the left. The minister will be ready when you are," he instructed. Jeremy kissed Sarah before heading to the front for something. Sarah took a deep breath and walked into the changing room.

Sarah dressing room was bright white and pink. There were three mirrors in front of her and a seat behind her. She sat down and opened the bag. Inside was the most beautiful wedding gown she had ever seen. It must have cost a fortune. She wondered how Jeremy could afford something like that. It was a sleeveless dress trimmed with small diamonds that caught the light perfectly, when she moved it. The skirt of the dress cascaded like water to the floor.

A woman knocked on the door and said, "Hi, I'm Sherri. Your groom informed that you might need a little help with your dress."

"Oh yea, sure. Come in; it's unlocked," Sarah responded. Sherri was a short middle-aged woman with bleached blonde curls. She showed Sherri the dress when she walked in.

"My god, that is beautiful. Why are you getting married in Vegas with a dress like that. You should get married in a palace," Sherri commented.

Sarah laughed, "Unfortunately, we are under a time restraint."

Sherri nodded her head in understanding, "Citizenship. We get a lot of those around here. I noticed the accent too. Is he English?"

"Yea, I couldn't tell you what part he's from though. He doesn't talk too much about where he's from."

"I would not worry about that too much. You know what you need to know. He's cute and he's gentleman. He held the door open for me and complimented my earrings just now. My husband won't even put down the toilet seat after he's done using it," she joked, "Start getting undressed. We don't want to keep him waiting."

Sarah nodded and removed all of her clothes. Sherri was careful not to look. First, Sarah put on her white panties, suspender belt, and stockings. Sherri handed her the dress. When it was on, Sarah turned her back to Sherri, so she could tie the laces in the back. It felt a bit tight at first, but her body quickly adjusted. Sarah looked in the mirror in awe. It looked even more gorgeous on her.

"There's some makeup in the bag. I can style your hair while you do your face up," she offered. Sarah nodded before grabbing a chair. Sherri plugged in the curling iron as Sarah started with the foundation. She did her eyes, her lips, and her cheeks. After looking at the mirror, she figured that was enough; she did not want to over do it. The curls in her hair looked absolutely stunning.

"Do I look okay?" Sarah asked.

Sherri laughed, "Do you look okay? Sugar, you look good enough to eat. Your man is going to love it. Should I tell them that you are ready?"

"Yes, please, and thank you so much," Sarah responded.

"You're welcome. Just come out when the music starts playing. We don't want him to see you before you are ready. It's bad luck. Remember to put on the veil," she responded. Sarah nodded while getting the veil. When Sherri closed the door, Sarah was alone again with her thoughts. She started breathing heavy. This was probably the biggest day in her young life, maybe aside from the day she ran the labyrinth. From this day forward, she would be Misses Jeremy King.

She wished that her family was here and that her father could give her away. Unfortunately, she no longer had her old family that loved her. Jeremy was her new family. He loved her. Sarah's heart started racing when she heard the music. Her feet seemed to move on their own out of the door. Jeremy gasped when he saw her. Sarah walked slowly up the aisle to make sure she does not trip.

The minister started speaking, but Sarah was too busy staring at Jeremy to really listen. Jeremy's eyes would flash back and forth between the minister and her. She eyed Jeremy's slim fitting black suit and tie. He looked absolutely breathtaking.

"Do you, Jeremy, take Sarah to hold and to cherish as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked.

Jeremy smiled at her and then looked at the minister, "I do."

"Do you, Sarah, take Jeremy to hold and to cherish as long as you both shall live?"

Sarah gulped, "I do."

"Then with the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Jeremy pushed back the veil and gave her the kiss of her life. Sarah wrapped her arms around him, returning the kiss with even more intensity. Sherri took pictures of the happy couple.

The minister handed them a paper to sign to say that they were officially married, "I'll be back with extra copies you requested in a moment."

"Excellent, thank you."

* * *

A/N: Please read and review! :)


	11. Wedding Night

A/N: Warning: there's a little smut in this chapter.

* * *

Jareth walked to the hotel room with Sarah clasped to his arm. He should have been happy; truly, he should have. Unfortunately, he felt like the worst person in existence. Sarah meant more to him than anyone else. Here he was, taking advantage of her friendship.

Sarah began kissing his neck and cheek, "I can't believe we are officially married."

"The wedding was fine, but I cannot wait to celebrate our honeymoon," he purred into her ear.

"We are actually going to do this?" she asked.

Jareth led her to the bed, "I would love to, but if you're not ready . . ."

She sat on his lap and buried her head in his chest, "No, no, no. I just need a moment to get ready. This is all happening so fast."

"How about you take a nice warm bubble bath while I get things set up out here. How does that sound?" he said before capturing her lips. Sarah wrapped her arms around him.

"That sounds great," she whispered before kissing his nose. Sarah walked to the bathroom. Jareth took a deep breath, after she closed the door. He needed to focus. They had to have sex if the marriage was going to be considered legitimate Underground. Jareth made a few crystals and threw them across the room. Soon, the room was filled with lit candles and rose petals. It was beautiful.

Jareth pulled out some champagne from one of the cabinets in the kitchen and two wine glasses. Linda had gone through some Aboveground traditions with him. She told him what would be considered romantic for the average American woman. He was not horrible with women, but he would have never thought of these things on his own. This was their wedding night, so it had to be special.

He undressed and folded his clothes neatly. Carefully, he put the two glasses in one hand and the bottle under his arms. With a deep breath, he walked over to the bathroom and opened the door. Sarah's jaw dropped when she saw Jareth fully nude.

"Oh my! I don't think that's going to fit inside me," she squealed before covering her mouth. It was clear that she did not mean to say that out loud, but Jareth let out a chuckle anyway.

"Well, I guess we'll have to find out then, Misses King," he stated, admiring the way her entire body blushed.

Sarah brought her knees up to her chest, "I did not mean to say that."

Jareth set down the glasses, "They say communication is very healthy for a relationship. I say we are off to a good start. Care for some champagne?" She nodded quickly. He popped open the cork and the bubbles started overflowing. Jareth poured the drinks before it would make a huge mess. Sarah took the glass as soon as he handed it to her. He got into the bathtub and maneuvered Sarah so she was on top of his lap, facing him. Luckily, the bathtub was big enough to fit them both comfortably.

Sarah held up her glass, "To us?"

"To us," Jareth agreed while toasted their glasses. They intertwined their arms and drank. He thought it was a good idea to set the glass aside, and Sarah followed suit. All he wanted to do was make love to his gorgeous wife. His previous guilt was forgotten at sight of her body. Jareth held her closer and looked her over with dark intentions in his eyes. Sarah kissed him on the lips. His tongue begged for entry. Jareth put one hand on the small of her back, while the other one sought out her breast. He rubbed his thumb over her slippery bud. She began breathing heavily. His lips made its way down to her neck.

"Jeremy?" she called, pulling Jareth from his thoughts.

He kissed her lips once more, "Yes, love?"

"I don't think I'm ready. I mean, we've only seen each other romantically for almost two days. We are already married. I really like you , but . . ."

"I've only had a taste of you and I'm afraid I'm already addicted," he purred before kissing her neck again, "Let's just see how this plays out. I will not go any further than you want me to." Jareth was already hot and bothered, and he was willing to say anything to be inside her at that moment. His mind was taking a backseat while his libido was in full control.

Sarah looked at him bashfully, "You promise?"

Jareth pulled her in closer, "I promise." He gave her sweet peck on the lips before locking his eyes on her breasts. Her head fell back when Jareth began sucking on her nipple.

"I thought . . . we were going to take it slow," she gasped.

"My apologies," he whispered before running his tongue up the side of her breast slowly. She shot him a glare because they both knew that was not what she meant. Sarah moved his head up so his lips met hers. Jareth growled at her. He grabbed her bottom with both hands to press her body against his manhood. Her body turned crimson. Jareth took another sip of champagne. It was beginning to have an effect on him; Sarah was becoming more irresistible by the moment. This champagne was made by goblins, and if goblins knew anything, it was alcohol.

Sarah looked concerned,"Jeremy, maybe we should-"

"Take this to the bedroom? I wholeheartedly agree," he joked before Sarah shot him another glare, "I'm sorry, Sarah. You are so beautiful and so naked right now. I want to make love to you so very badly."

"Well, you're being an ass right now," she huffed covering her breasts, "This is my first time; I want it to be special."

Jareth head in shame, "I guess, I am just nervous . . . It is my first time too."

Sarah's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "You can't be serious. You're not a virgin. I mean, you're like old. Why?"

"I've never gotten around to it, okay? If you tell anyone, I will kill you. I will brutally-" Sarah kissed him, "massacre you. I'm not joking, Sarah."

"A thirty-year-old virgin? How corruptible!" Sarah giggled before getting out of the tub. Jareth wanted to die of embarrassment. He wished he had not told her that. She toweled herself off, while Jareth pouted.

He hissed, "You're a virgin too. I don't know why you find it so funny."

She took a sip of her champagne, "I just think it's cute. Now, come on, Lover-boy, let's go to bed."

"You still want to sleep with me?" he questioned.

"Yes, I feel much better knowing that the playing field is even," she taunted. Sarah took off the towel and ran off to the bedroom. Jareth's eyes lit up at the challenge. He rose from the tub and dried himself off. Sarah sprawled out on the bed in a seductive fashion. Everything was on display for Jareth to see. A lump was caught in his throat. His eyes met hers, and in an instant, he pounced. Sarah squealed in delight, when he started attacking her neck.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. Jareth kissed down the valley between her breasts. Then he ran his tongue over her navel. Sarah stared at him with wide eyes, when he started go down farther. He kissed the folds of her lower lips, and Sarah began giggling even more. Jareth fought hard to give her a seductive stare, but he wound up laughing too. He buried his head between her legs, so he would not make eye contact with Sarah. This was serious business, and here they were laughing like two idiots.

"You can come up now," she chuckled.

"Hush, I am trying to be sexy," he growled.

Sarah jokingly frowned, "Oh, sorry." Jareth ran his tongue between her lips, flicking her sensitive bud repeatedly. He started sucking her and licking simultaneously. Once he got into a steady rhythm, she began gasping and moaning from underneath him. Her legs boxed Jareth's ears in. Sarah grabbed his hair and let out a piercing scream. Jareth had a goofy grin on his face as he climbed up her body. She was panting hard as he kissed her.

Jareth raised an eyebrow at her, "Not bad for my first time, eh?"

"That was only round one," she smirked, "I love the rose petals, by the way." Jareth let out a throaty chuckle. His cock was beyond ready for the next round. He grabbed hold of it and rubbed it against her clitoris. Sarah held him to her and kissed him deeply. Since it was too late to give his penis a pep talk, he just plunged in. They both gasped at the initial entrance. He went in and out of her for about thirty seconds before releasing inside of her.

He pulled away from her and sat down at the edge of the bed. Jareth buried his head in his hands in shame. When Sarah got her strength back, she crawled up next to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he moved away. Jareth felt humiliated. He could not satisfy Sarah like he wanted to.

"Jeremy, why are you pulling away from me?" she asked.

"You know why. Go ahead and laugh at me," he groaned.

She wrapped her arm around him, "No one's laughing at you. What happened is perfectly natural. We just need to practice. Now, come back to bed, Mr. Grumpy, I want to cuddle." Jareth looked back to her. Sarah sat on his lap and pushed him on his back. He moved up the bed, and Sarah moved with him. When he saw that he was not going to get rid of Sarah, he just held her in his arms until they both fell asleep.

Jareth felt something bump him in the middle of the night. It was a crystal. There was no doubt that it was from his from his mother. He grabbed a robe and took the crystal to the kitchen. "Hello, Mother, how are you?"

"Fine. How did everything go?" she asked.

"We're married," he told her.

Linda smirked, "I'm guessing from your state of undress that you have consummated the marriage as well."

He really did not want to go over the details with his mother and mother-in-law, "Everything went according to plan. Now the tough part is what to do with her. I can't just leave her here. I can't take her back to her father or the asylum, and if I take her Underground, she would hate me forever."

"A crystal? You're not Jeremy!" Sarah screamed in horror. He had not noticed that she was behind him the whole time.

Jareth crushed the crystal in his hand, "Sarah, calm down."

"I need my medication. I-I-I'm hallucinating again. I am. I'm going crazy," she began hyperventilating.

"You're not going crazy, Sarah."

She covered her mouth and cried, "Then you're not Jeremy . . . You're the . . . You're the goblin king." Jareth went to hold her, but she backed away.

He grabbed her wrists so she could not run, "Yes, I am. I'm the goblin king. Sarah, I love you so much. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Then why would you do this to me? You tricked me and you took my virginity!" she screamed.

"Sarah, it's a long story. I promise, if you calm down, I will tell you everything. Sarah please, I know it's hard, but I need you to quiet down," Jareth pleaded. Sarah screamed even louder and Jareth heard someone from outside the door. He made a crystal and quickly transported them into his bedroom, Underground. Jareth went back to being dressed in his full goblin king attire. His sheets were midnight blue and made of satin. He had an old oak frame and large area rug. There were two coffee tables and a cabinet.

She pulled away from him, "Where am I, Goblin King?"

"You're in my chambers," he sighed defeated, "You can get some clothes from the cabinet on the right. Get some sleep. We'll speak in the morning."

* * *

"No you need to explain things now!" she screamed. Sarah stilled when he ran his fingers through her hair and gave her a kiss on the lips.

"I apologize, Sarah. I love you, and I'm not sure if I will ever get to kiss you again. Please rest, love, it's been a long night for both of us," he responded.

Sarah slapped him in the face, "I hate you!" He grasped his cheek in pain before walking out. Jareth closed the door behind him. She jiggled the door and found that it was locked. "I defeated you once, Goblin King, and I will do it again."

She dropped down with her back to the door and sobbed. It was not fair. She knew that he was too good to be true. Jareth disguised himself as Jeremy to get in her pants. Sarah could not help but to wonder if he was Jeremy her whole life or just for the last two days. He was a monster. The man was truly sick if he thought he could prey on a young girl that was mentally ill. Was she really mentally ill though?

Deep down, she hoped that it was a bad hallucination. She hoped that she was back at the hospital strapped to her bed, while they stuffed medication down her throat. Sarah wanted to be anywhere but there. She did not want to be in the goblin king's room, naked, with his semen still wet between her legs. Her nails dug into her scalp painfully. How could she be so stupid? Sarah really thought that people could fall in love in two days.

The scariest part for her was that he still said that he loved her. Jareth did not go about and taunt her in a goblin king fashion. There were no "tra-la-la"'s and no stolen babies. He had to be getting something out of this, but what? She wondered if he was mad all these years because she turned him down. This could have been an act of revenge. He did not look vengeful, though; he looked heartbroken.


	12. Down in the Underground

Sarah heard a knock on the door. She debated on whether or not she should answer. The sun was a little too bright for her tastes. It had been a long night, and she had not gotten any sleep. Jareth's bed was the comfiest bed she had ever felt, but with how she was feeling, it might as well have been made of stone. Sarah put on a pair of Jareth's silk pajamas just in case anyone tried to come in.

"Excuse me, your highness, are you decent?" called a woman. Sarah was perplexed by the title, but then she realized that this was Jareth's chambers. It was probably an honest mistake.

"I'm sorry ma'am. The goblin king is not here," Sarah responded.

The woman laughed, "I did not come for my son. I've known him his whole life. I just wanted to meet the special lady he has chosen to marry."

She gasped, "You're Jareth's mother?" This woman must have be very powerful so she did not want to step on anyone's toes. Sarah quickly got up from bed and fixed the sheets.

"Yes, dear. My name is Alexandria. May I come in?" she asked.

"Of course, come on in," Sarah greeted. Alexandria was absolutely stunning. She had crystal blue eyes and hair so light that it almost looked white. She was dressed in a tight fitting victorian gown that light blue and white. Her hair was done up in marvelous curls. Everything looked perfect accept for the wet spot on her shoulder. Sarah curtseyed as soon as she entered.

Alexandria chimed, "You needn't curtsey to me, dear. You're the queen and the champion of the labyrinth. I am of no significant royal status."

Sarah sat on the bed, "I'm not a queen."

"Technically, you are. You have married the goblin king, your highness," she corrected, "Jareth was supposed to meet you this morning, but I am afraid he is too distraught over last nights events. Between us, I don't think I have ever seen him cry like that, even when he was a boy."

"If he was so upset then why did he trick me into marrying him in the first place?" she growled.

Alexandria put her hand on Sarah's shoulder, "Long story, short: this was the only way to protect himself and his kingdom. For the unabridged version, you will have to speak with your mother or Jareth."

She raised an eyebrow, "My mother?"

"Yes. She will be joining us for breakfast. There's a lot you don't know about your heritage. We plan on telling you as much as possible today. Aboveground, you might have been seen as insignificant, but down here, you are the most important and the most powerful being in existence," Alexandria answered.

"Could I see my mother now, perhaps?" Sarah asked.

Alexandria nodded, "Anything you wish, your highness." Sarah said her thanks, and Alexandria headed off. She had enough excitement in this last three days to last her a lifetime. Why was her mother in the Underground? Was she kidnapped or did she come down here willingly? Before she had too much time to wonder, there was knock on the door.

Linda called, "Sarah, it's me." Sarah opened the door. Her mother was dressed like she had never seen her. She was wearing a forest green dress with pearl buttons all the way up to her neck. Linda was holding a yellow dress and shoes on her arms. She set it on the bed before embracing Sarah. "I'm so sorry, baby. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. Why are you down here? Did he take you down here? We can escape," Sarah told her.

"No, Sarah. I want to be here. This is my home . . . our home," Linda assured.

Sarah wept into her mother's chest, "What did he say to you? He's nothing but a no good liar."

Linda rubbed his back, "Sarah, I know you think he's a bad person, but I would not be alive if it was not for him, and neither would you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not from the Aboveground, Sarah. I'm from the elf kingdom. The elf king and his men raided our village. I ran to the goblin kingdom to seek refuge. Technically, it was considered trespassing, and Jareth's uncle had me sentenced me to death. Jareth saved me by taking me Aboveground," Linda explained.

Sarah cried, "If that is true, then why did I have to run the labyrinth? Why did he trick me into marrying him?"

Linda rubbed her daughter's back, "Let's get you dressed."

"I'm tired of people ignoring me. I want the full story, and I want it now!" Sarah screamed.

"Sarah, you will not raise your voice at me. I know you're hurting, baby, but we are going to get through this. I've brought you a dress. Please, put it on," she pleaded. Sarah started getting undressed to put on her new clothing. "Anyway, Jareth's uncle found out about the escape and put a curse on you. The curse made you wish yourself away to the labyrinth. Jareth disguised himself as Jeremy to help you solve it."

A goblin opened the door without knocking, "Num-nums is ready!"

Linda nodded, "Tell the king that we will be there shortly." Sarah tried to process everything. There was no way that the goblin king helped her. He tried to kill her with the cleaners. Jareth was evil reincarnated; she knew it. There was not a good bone in his body.

When she finished getting dressed, Linda escorted her out. They walked a little ways until they saw a long mahogany table. Alexandria was there, alongside two men. Hoggle with an empty seat, Ludo, and Sir Didymus sat across from them. Jareth sat at the head of the table, with an empty chair next to him. Upon Sarah's arrival, they all bowed and curtseyed. Sarah went to sit by Hoggle, but Jareth quickly got up and guided her to the seat near him. She shot him a glare, and he pretended that he did not see it.

"Please, have a seat, my queen," Jareth stated before bringing her hand to his lips. Sarah snatched back her hand like he had burned her. He pulled out a seat for her. It was clear that he was trying to get on her good side, but it was not going to work. She sat down without giving him any thanks or acknowledgment. Jareth went to brush a strand of her hair out of her face, but she inched away from him. He put his head down briefly, but put on regal facade.

"May I speak freely, your majesties?" Sir Didymus piped up.

Jareth nodded, "You may."

Sir Didymus stated, "The elf king and princess plans on visiting the goblin kingdom in two days. This is, of course, a change to your majesty's previous agreement. I received word this morning."

"As much as I do not like the sound of that, I am afraid I haven't have much choice on the matter," Jareth responded.

"What does the elf king have to do with anything?" Sarah asked.

A man at the table with auburn hair spoke up, "_This_ is the champion of the labyrinth? The elf king has everything to do with this. He's the only reason you are here in the first place." Sarah furrowed her eyes at the man. The goblins brought in plates of food for each person.

Sarah turned to Jareth, "What is he talking about?"

"There has been a war between the elf and goblin kingdoms," he began.

"A war started over me?" she asked, before putting a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth. It tasted a bit like peaches.

The man snorted, "Stupid and vain, you sure know how to pick them."

Sarah hissed, "Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"He is my brother, James. He would do well to curb his tone when talking to my wife," he growled, "As I was saying, the war had been going on for eons. When I became the goblin king, I had decided that I had to put an end to this. The elf king and I went back and forth revising the treaty that would finally end the war. The final version stated that I must marry his daughter in order to end the war. I was unsure if his daughter could be trusted. She could easily kill me and claim the goblin kingdom as her own. I would have let you stay Aboveground, but unfortunately, you are my only loophole, Sarah."

"But how?" Sarah asked, more confused than ever.

Linda looked down, "The elf king . . . King Oedisis is your biological father. He raped me and killed my mother, when his men rided our village. I was already pregnant, when I met Robert, Aboveground." This could not be true; Sarah knew it. Tear threatened to spill from her face. Jeremy was not real, her mother was fae, and she is the daughter of a rapist. This was all too much for her to handle.

"You're lying. You have to be!" Sarah sobbed in denial. Everyone gasped as she ran out of the room. Jareth stood up, but his mother stopped him.

Sarah ran out of the castle and the goblin city and into the labyrinth. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she needed to get out of there. There had to be a place in the labyrinth that could get her back Aboveground. She could not stay here with Jareth. He was horrid. How could he get her mother to lie to her like that? What if that was not really her mother?

For hours and hours, she traveled without finding anything. Sarah threw herself on the floor. It was hopeless. She sobbed uncontrollably into her hand. "Why am I even here in the first place?"

An old voice called, "The way forward is sometimes the way back." Sarah seemed shocked to see the wiseman and his talking bird hat.

"Oh hello, Mister Wiseman. I did not see you there," Sarah greeted warmly.

"Hola Senorita!" the hat greeted.

Sarah got up and walked toward them, "What did you mean by 'the way forward is sometimes the way back'?"

The wiseman nodded, "I simply meant that sometimes the key to the future is knowing the past."

"I'm the champion of the labyrinth. I've already beat it. You don't have to speak in riddles anymore, Wiseman. Tell me what you really mean to say," She pressed.

"You are not the champion. You are only half the champion," the wiseman corrected.

Sarah was perplexed, "How can I only be half a champion?"

Jareth came out of nowhere and embraced Sarah, "There you are, Sarah. I was so worried. I tried searching for you in my crystal and the image was blocked."

"Ah, there goes the other half," the bird chimed.

"What do you mean Jareth is the other half?" Sarah growled.

The wiseman quoted, "'For my will is as strong as yours; my kingdom as great.'"

Jareth looked Sarah in the eyes, "I was helping you with the labyrinth the entire time. Sir Didymus is a long time friend of mine, and Hoggle is an actor."

"'My kingdom as great.' He's talking about the elf and the goblin kingdom. We beat the labyrinth because your the goblin king, and I'm . . . I'm the elf princess," Sarah put together.

"That's how the war started," Jareth stated.

She raised an eyebrow, "Beg pardon?"

He held Sarah's hands, "The goblin king and the elf princess. When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me the story about how the goblin king rescued the elf princess from her horrible parents. He made the labyrinth, and they hid within it. Never to be seen again."

"You are not really who you say you are, are you, Mister Wiseman?" Sarah asked.

"What are you talking about, love?" Jareth questioned.

Sarah turned to the wiseman, "Things are not always as they seem in this place. He's the goblin king, and his hat is the elf princess." The wiseman pretended to fall asleep while the bird asked for a contribution. Jareth gasped when Sarah ripped the hat off the wiseman's head. The bird began transforming, which caused Sarah to drop it. She squealed and ran into Jareth's arms. He held her close for protection.

The bird became a beautiful young woman, with long sandy curls and freckles. She wide chocolate-brown eyes and rosy cheeks. She wore an elegant salmon-colored dress that dusted the tips of her bare feet. The wiseman had dark brown hair and a mustache. He wore a navy blue suit.

"My goodness, Sarah, you were right. You're a genius," Jareth reacted in disbelief.

"I am Princess Laila, and this is my beloved King Kalen," the woman introduced.

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "What really happened all those years ago?"

Kalen sighed, "We fell in love the moment we saw each other. I knew that we would both be killed for falling in love. I made the labyrinth to protect us."

"So, basically, you let this war last for eons so you wouldn't get killed for cheating on your wife with your friend's kid. All these people got killed because you could not keep it in your pants! I got tricked into marriage because of your stupid mess. You two are the most selfish idiots I have ever met!" Sarah screamed. She felt her hand buzzing painfully. Then Sarah lifted her fist, and punched the king square in the jaw. A blue haze surrounded her fingertips as she went to punch him again. The kings face was charred from the impact. Jareth grabbed both her hands and held them in his. "Jareth, I'm scared! What did I just do?"

"Sarah, you just used magic!" Jareth informed her, "I am going to need you to calm down. Deep breaths. If you let your anger the best of you, you will destroy the whole labyrinth. We're going to have to get you some gloves to help you contain this."

Sarah took deep breaths, "What are we going to do with them?" Jareth let go of her hand, made a crystal, and sent it off.

"I just called the goblin guards. They will be here shortly. The two of you will be placed under arrest for treason. If either of you run, you will both be put to death without trial. Is that understood?" Jareth warned. Sarah was breathing hard, but the blue haze was still buzzing out her fingers. Jareth held her trembling hands to stop some of the flow of the magic.

"We understand," Laila sighed solemnly. Kalen went to speak, but she hushed him. "We've been hiding long enough. They are right. We've caused this mess, and now we have to pay for what we have done." As the goblin guards arrived, Jareth transported Sarah to a nearby oubliette.

* * *

A/N: Please read and review.


	13. I Hate You

Sarah sat down on a chair in the oubliette, while Jareth lit some candles to see. He opened a small wooden door, and clothes started popping out. She laughed nervously because she was still scared that her powers would make something explode. Jareth found one black glove and held it between his teeth, as he looked for another. He grinned when he found the other one.

"I used to hide in oubliettes as a child. I would always keep spare gloves in the closet. This will work for now, until we could get you one of you own. It is rather difficult to find a quality seamstress that handles magic-channeling gloves. The ones that are capable of doing such are usually capable of some nasty hexes as well," he explained. Sarah stood up and put on the gloves. It was a perfect fit. The stinging feeling in her hand went away.

"My magic is gone," she noted.

Jareth laughed, "No, my dear, the gloves just prevent you from using your powers without thought. You have powers from both the elf king and I. That makes you the most powerful being in existence, so we have to be very careful. I can teach you how to use it myself or I could hire a tutor, if you wish to learn magic."

Curiosity got the better of her, "Could you teach me something simple, right now?"

"If you wish," he replied, "Okay, close your eyes really tight. I want you to imagine that you are on a beach. The wind is blowing through your hair. The sand is rough between your toes. Can you smell the ocean, Sarah?"

"Yes."

He smiled, "You bend over picked up a shell. Hold it in your hands. Feel it. Now, open your eyes." Sarah had a small crystal in her hand. She popped it, and the shell she imagined was in her hands. It was pale pink color with crimson spots. Her mouth dropped, and she squealed. Before thinking, she ran up to Jareth and hugged him.

She blushed and pulled away, "How did you learn to do that?"

"I've had tutors, but that trick in particular was taught to me by my father," he answered.

"Do I get to meet your father?" Sarah asked.

His face turned solemn, "Not in this lifetime, love. He passed on when I was a boy." Sarah looked down in embarrassment.

She frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry Jareth. If I had known-"

"That's quite alright, love," he responded. They stood in silence for what felt like forever.

Sarah sighed, "So the Jeremy act was completely fake, and so was the goblin king act. Who is the real Jareth?"

Jareth thought about it a moment then answered, "The real Jareth is someone who thinks he could please everyone, but always winds up biting off more than he could chew."

"Why weren't you honest with me from the beginning?" Sarah asked.

"When you were a child, I was not sure how much I could say to you. I did not want you to reveal anything about the Underground. After you defeated the labyrinth, I was sure you would not want to speak with me again, if I told you," he explained.

Sarah nodded, "What about the marriage? Why couldn't you have told me then?"

Jareth responded, "I was scared that you would not do it if you knew. I had to protect my kingdom."

"You don't give me nearly enough credit, Goblin King. I may not like you, but I'd never want something bad to happen to you or your kingdom. I would not wish that on anyone. Believe it or not, I was trying to wish myself away to you before you came to get me. I figured that being with you would be a lot better than being locked away in a mental hospital forever," she admitted.

"I am truly sorry, Sarah. I should have trusted you. I tricked you into to marriage and took your virginity, and for that, I will always feel guilty. Do you think that you could ever forgive me?"

Sarah sat next to him, "I don't know, Jareth. What's done is done. That was a pretty rotten thing to do. I know that I don't fully hate you, and I supposed that is start in the right direction. At least, I could take solace in the fact that I took your virginity too."

He raised an eyebrow, "That was a secret! You weren't suppose to mention that ever again. I guess, I'll have to kill you now. The goblin queen's reign is going to be so short; it's tragic, really." Sarah's eyes popped open at that. She jumped up and ran. Jareth chased after her. When he caught the bottom of her dress, she squealed. Sarah chuckled as he pulled her into an embrace.

"Okay, you win, goblin king. You are a complete stud. You've had sex with tons of women. Those women will weep every day that you're not stunning them with your amazing sexual prowess," she joked.

"Don't you forget it," he smirked, pinching her bottom.

She glared, "Hands off the merchandise, Bub. I'm still mad at you."

He laughed, "That's okay. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you . . . even if I have to stun you with my amazing sexual prowess." Sarah cracked a smile, and buried her head in his chest.

Jareth was an ass; there was no denying that. She should never forgive him for what he did. For some reason, she found herself giggling and blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush. The real Jareth was so different. Maybe he was not dangerous and smooth like the goblin king in the labyrinth. He was not the perfectly sweet and charming like Jeremy. She was not sure what to think about him, but she was glad that he was finally being honest with her.

A man came down into the oubliette, "There you are, Jareth! We were looking everywhere for you."

"Sarah, this is, my brother, Jonathan. You saw him earlier at breakfast," Jareth introduced.

Jonathan kissed her hand, "A pleasure to meet you, Sarah." Sarah was startled at the contact. He grinned as Jareth sent him a dirty look.

* * *

It had been a long day. Jareth was looking foward to bed. He spent the latter half of the day handling papers for the king and princess's arrest and filling everyone in on what happened. It was surprising that Sarah solved a mystery that has not been solved in eons. Then again, his Sarah was anything but ordinary.

His mother seemed content telling Sarah embarrassing stories about his childhood. Her favorite story was about Sir Didymus. When Jareth was a young child, his mother got him a puppy. The puppy was his best friend, and he followed Jareth everywhere. To reward him for his loyalty, Jareth knighted him with his father's sword. Unknown to him, the sword was enchanted. Sir Didymus suddenly learned how to walk, talk, and fight. Jareth was so happy that his mother did not have the heart to change him back.

There was a knock on the door, "Jareth, can I come in?" The voice was Sarah's, but she sounded different. She sounded sad.

"Come in," he answered and she obeyed, "Is the Queen's chamber's sufficient for you? I had your mother alter it to your tastes."

"Yea, everything is fine," she answered with bloodshot eyes. Sarah looked incredibly small in her baby blue night gown.

Jareth patted a spot on the bed next to him, "You've been crying. I understand that is has been a rough day for you. Do you care to talk?" Sarah sat on the bed and wept into his chest. He rubbed her back patiently, allowing her to get out all of her frustrations. It broke his heart to see her like this.

She sat up and looked at him, "Jareth, I'm scared."

"Why?"

"Your mom says that I have to meet the elf king before the treaty is signed. I don't know if I'm ready for that. I went my whole life believing my father was Robert Williams. Now it's some evil elf king that raped my mother," she cried.

He kissed her head, "Robert is your father. He is the man that raised you. The elf king is nothing to you, but a strand in your dna. You are nothing like him. Don't fear him and give him that kind of power over you. You are better than him. We will just do a simple test, and that is it. You don't even have to make eye contact with him. Then we will be one step closer to making sure that the kind does not hurt another living soul."

Sarah nodded, "Won't he be mad about using me as a loophole? What if he tries to hurt us?"

"He won't be able to. My brothers and I will be right there with you. If you feel threatened at all, take off those gloves and let the magic take its course," he assured her.

"How will the test work?" she asked.

He held her to him, "I don't know the specifics because I am not a medical professional. If I am not mistaken they take dead skin cells from you, me, the elf king, your mother, and possibly the elf princess. They put it in different potions and watch the reaction. I'm sure it's all very technical. The healers are getting the potions ready as we speak."

"Why you?"

"That is just to verify that we have consummated the marriage. When fae have intercourse, males will release a little bit of their magic into their partner. This magic is meant to protect the female should a pregnancy take. So part of my DNA would show up in testing," Jareth explained matter of factly.

Sarah backed off of him, "Am I going to get pregnant?"

Jareth held her hand and assured her, "Don't worry, love. Fae are notoriously infertile. That would be some kind of freak accident for a pregnancy to take the first time. It took my mother nearly four-hundred years to get pregnant."

"Wow, four-hundred years," she repeated in astonishment. At least that was one less thing she had to worry about. She had enough on her plate as it was.

Seductively, he purred into her ear, "That means that we could have all the fun we want."

Sarah shook her head, "Yea, that's not going to happen. You're lucky I'm still talking to you."

"I said that I was sorry. I don't know what you want me to do. It's not like I was the only one lying to you. Your mother lied too," he sighed, seeming exhausted with the conversation. Jareth had not actually expected to be forgiven anytime soon. That did not change the fact that he wanted Sarah to be happy with him. He would throw the world at her feet if it would make her smile.

"It's different," she stated.

He looked into her eyes, "How is it different?"

"It's different because you meant everything to me. I trusted you," she cried. Jareth kissed her cheeks, stopping her tears from flowing again. He rubbed her shoulders repeatedly and allowed her to lean into him.

"Look, it's late, love. We are both tired. Please, spend the night with me," he pleaded, "I just want to hold you."

Sarah brushed the hair out of her face, "I hate you."

Jareth took a deep breath, "Sarah, please." Those words echoed through his core. He knew she was stressed and angry, but that did not lessen the sting. He felt very tired and vulnerable at that moment. Sarah leaned away from him as he went to kiss her again.

"I hate the way you can turn my world upside down without even trying," she gave him a weak smile, "Goodnight, Jareth." Without another word, she left the room.


End file.
